North Carolina
Interstate Tolling, the Third Rail of Transportation User Fees, Finds Fans
Discussion on increasing user fee revenue has centered on increasing and/or indexing the gas tax and applying VMT fees. Now some are pushing a return of the original user fee - road tolls applied by states or regions on interstate highways.
Former APA President Allegedly Assaulted at Zoning Hearing
Don't let anyone tell you that planning isn't dangerous. Past APA President and current Raleigh Planning Director Mitchell Silver was allegedly punched by a resident opposed to rezoning that would allow the construction of a gas station.
Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Fees are Here to Stay, and Spreading
It may seem counter-intuitive to charge extra fees for the cleanest, most fuel-efficient vehicles on the road today - including those that qualify for a federal $7,500 credit. But ten states are doing just that to keep roads well-funded.
Mill Makeover a Model for Discarded Manufacturing Relics
C.J. Hughes looks at the $40 million conversion of the historic Loray Mill in Gastonia, North Carolina into a mixed-use retail and residential complex. Federal and state tax credits are providing the incentives for investors to back the project.
Predicting U.S. Transportation Policy Under Future Secretary Foxx
Following Monday's announcement by President Obama of his surprise selection to be the next transportation secretary, observers dig deeper into what the American people can expect from federal transportation policy under Anthony Foxx.
Can a Fake Plan Lead to Real Results in Raleigh?
Matt Tomasulo's proposal for an urban beach on the site of a vacant lot in Raleigh has gained a following, and sparked a conversation over the future of the site, demonstrating the power of an attractive idea, a compelling rendering and the Internet.
Obama to Nominate Charlotte Mayor as Transportation Secretary
News broke Sunday that Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx will be President Obama's choice to succeed Ray LaHood as transportation secretary. Although he does not have a transportation background, Foxx has been an advocate for mass transit and TOD.
Healthy, or Unhealthy, by Design
We've engineered physical activity out of our daily lives but it need not be a chronic condition. Hazel Borys points to recent suburban retrofits for ways to get moving again.
Economic Development and Planning: It's a Match!
Mitchell Silver, Raleigh City Planner and President of the APA, is on a mission to get planners to realize the importance of return on investment (ROI) in their projects. Raleigh is providing the testing ground for his arguments.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Housing
South Front, in Wilmington, NC, made use of an abandoned and decayed, 40s-era public housing project, salvaging and renovating every building rather than scraping the site. Scott Doyon talks about several of the reasons that's cool.
Charlotte Airport Turning Trash into Treasure
Air travel is a notoriously wasteful mode. But one airport is taking huge leaps towards sustainability. Julie Rose reports on Charlotte Douglas International's comprehensive recycling and composting program.
Raleigh Paves the Way for Walkability
Raleigh, North Carolina didn't take getting placed sixth most dangerous metro area in the country lightly back in 2009, and recently drafted a Comprehensive Pedestrian Plan in response.
Friday Funny: Durham's Bridge of Death
Courageous is the brave soul who drives a truck through Durham, North Carolina, where a bridge has been decapitating high-profile vehicles with reckless impunity.
Radical Plan Goes Small, Not Big, to Densify Raleigh
Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan discusses the plan put forth by three Raleigh architects to densify the city's pre-existing residential neighborhoods by creating a new RA-50 or "Alley Residential" zoning classification.
How the NC Legislature Plans to Stop the Sea From Rising
Add this one to the "This is how they spend my tax dollars?!" file. Scott Huler exposes a ploy by legislators from 20 coastal North Carolina counties to outlaw effectively measuring and predicting the potential rise in sea level.
A Taste of Urbanism in Charlotte
Can a "munching tour" along "an auto-focused commercial strip of tattered, 1970s-era Americana 5 miles from downtown" Charlotte help redefine what "urbanism" in 21st-century America means for Mary Newsom?
A Business-Friendly Approach to Urban Sustainability
Moira Quinn takes a look at Charlotte, North Carolina, where businesses and local government have teamed up to keep office buildings green as the central business district grows.
City Puts an End to Guerrilla "Walk Raleigh" Campaign
A widely publicized guerrilla wayfinding campaign meant to give helpful guidance and encouragement to those exploring the city of Raleigh on foot has been quashed by the City Planning Director, report Chelsea Kellner and Bruce Siceloff.
It Exists: A Conservative Who Supports Transit
Seemingly as hard to find as the mythic Sasquatch or a Unicorn, we've searched high and low for a conservative who supports transit (or at least who will say so in public) and have found one, in the region around Charlotte, North Carolina.
Tactical Urbanism Lands in Raleigh
Emily Badger reports on surreptitious wayfinding signage that has been appearing mysteriously under the cover of darkness in Raleigh.
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.
City of Albany
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
