Florida
Tampa Bay's New Cookie Cutter High Rises
With more than ten new residential towers rising around Tampa Bay, development is booming, but why aren't the new buildings more reflective of the community and environment?
The Best Country in the World to Grow Old
The country most friendly to electric vehicles is also the country most supportive of senior citizens, not that there's a relationship. After Norway, Sweden is the best place to grow old, according to the just released Global AgeWatch Index.
Massive MiamiCentral Train Station Arriving Soon for All Aboard Florida
Part infrastructure, part urban development—MiamiCentral is moving ahead quickly as an urban hub on the south end of the All Aboard Florida high-speed rail project.
Miami Moving Forward with Showy, $1.5 Billion Worldcenter Development
Last minute changes allowed the $1.5 billion Worldcenter development to move forward into the planning stage.
Florida Pilots Bike Lanes on Highway Bridges
In an effort to create safer walking and biking environments, Miami-Dade counties have built bike lanes along two highways connecting the Miami with its eastern island beaches, reducing travel distances by 75 percent for cyclists.
Where to Go in the Event of Climate Change
Anchorage, Seattle, and Detroit will be pretty cozy compared to just about everywhere else in the United States if climate change models hold true.
Miami Planning for a Ten-Mile Linear Park along Metrorail Tracks
With support from local governments and bureaucrats, a proposal to transform the existing "M-Path" rail line into a ten-mile linear park is gaining traction in Miami. Next up: an economic impact study.
110-mph Talgo Trains Headed to Michigan [Corrected]
If the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) approves the order, two Wisconsin-manufactured Talgo train sets will reduce travel times from Detroit to Chicago by as much as two hours while significantly increasing on-time performance.
All Aboard Florida's California Connection
All Aboard Florida, the diesel-powered, high speed (125 mph) train connecting Miami to Orlando has ordered new locomotives and coaches with Siemen's Sacramento, California plant. The mostly privately funded train should be running by 2016.
Largest TIFIA Loan to P3 Goes to Florida's 'I-4 Ultimate' Project
Transportation Secretary Foxx announced the largest TIFIA loan to be awarded to a public-private partnership will be used to widen 21 miles of Interstate 4 in Florida known as "I-4 Ultimate" by adding four express or toll lanes in the Orlando area.
You’ve Got Lemons: What Now?
A timeless marker of community has emerged as a source of conflict: the lemonade stand is being called an "illegal business." Scott Doyon discusses how getting to know — and support! — your neighbor can be an issue of survival.
St. Petersburg, Florida Launches Downtown Waterfront Master Plan
St. Petersburg is one of those lucky few cities granted the benefits of a downtown waterfront setting in a warm climate. But what will that waterfront look like in the future?
Placemaking in Communities of All Sizes
A new article from Smart Growth America portrays the successes of placemaking in communities as diverse as Soldotna, Alaska (population 4,163), Orlando, and Philadelphia.
Closing Gaps in the Florida Greenways and Trails System
The recent purchase of land to close gaps in the Florida Greenways and Trails System resulted from partnerships between state, regional and county governments to protect land for recreation and conservation in the Sunshine State.
Arriving in Texas: the Shinkansen Bullet Train
The Houston to Dallas high speed rail train will be built with the cooperation of Japan's Central Railway, a longtime successful and profitable operator of Shinkansen bullet train lines. Securing the private financing is key to the project.
Responding to Distorted Criticisms of the President's High Speed Rail Program
High-speed rail is not an $11-billion failure, as a recent New York Times article asserts, writes Time's Michael Grunwald. A more appropriate name would be "higher speed" rail as outside of the California project, all are upgrades of Amtrak lines.
The Sunny Places that Prohibit Solar Power
An examination of the challenges facing the solar industry in Southeastern states, like Virginia, South Carolina, and Florida, where utilities and governments have largely blocked residents and businesses from tapping their solar resources.
University of Miami Sells Endangered Forest Land to Developer with Strip Mall Plans
Despite its commitment to protect forests in South Florida, the University of Miami sold 88 acres of endangered pine rockland to a developer with plans for a Walmart, an LA Fitness Center, and a Chik-fil-A, among other non-endangered retail uses.
Should Clearwater, Florida Give Up its Downtown?
The city of Clearwater in Tampa Bay has a "sleepy" downtown, much of which is owned by the Church of Scientology. Can investments by the city revive its downtown, as it did with $30 million worth of investments in Clearwater Beach?
New Census Data Shows the Country's Age
Christopher Ingraham breaks down recent data from the U.S. Census that shows which counties are getting younger and which are getting older.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA)
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
