Canada

Calling for Approval of 'Plan 2014' to Restore Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River
Political leaders are still seeking support for the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Plan 2014, which has been circulating since November 2014.

Study: Interaction between Bicyclists and Streetcars Find Deadly Results
A new study looks at the interaction between bicyclists and streetcars (trams) or train tracks and does not find a good outcome.

Good News on Car Sharing
Car sharing networks that allow the vehicle to be returned to any location were found to have the impact of removing seven cars for each rented car in San Diego in a three-year study released July 19.

Participatory Budgeting Catching on in the U.S. and Canada
A new report from Public Agenda tracks the spread of participatory budgeting, and provides guidance for implementing such processes for maximum benefit to public engagement.

Op-Ed: Highway Tolling Can Have Multiple Benefits
The editorial board of the Toronto Star picks a side in the policy debate over highway tolling.

Urban Taxidermy: When Authenticity and Artificiality Collide
A new breed of preservation has sprung up in Toronto, where existing structures are partially preserved to give new building's old facades. But is this attempt to preserve the existing streetscape actually succeeding?

Thank Climate Change and Sprawl for Worsening Wildfires
Along with climate conditions, urban sprawl is intensifying wildfires and increasing the damage they do.

Trudeau Wary of Unintended Consequences in Dealing with Vancouver's Housing Crisis
Prime Minister Trudeau took sides on one controversial issue central to the debate about the cost of housing in Vancouver, but stopped short of suggesting a clear policy agenda for the federal government to improve the problem.
What Can Fort McMurray Learn from Greensburg, Kansas?
Rebuilding after a major disaster offers a unique opportunity for a community to step back and ask how it wants to build.

Urban Planning Ranked as the Second Best Job in Canada
It might come as a shock to planners who lived and worked through the great recession, but a Canadian publication has named urban planning in the number two position on a ranking of "Best Jobs" in the country.
Friday Funny: The Urban Life of Ducks and Raccoons
A pair of very different stories offers insight into the urban lives of animals.

How to Rethink the Suburbs: A Lesson From Toronto
A new zoning law in Toronto could enable its hundreds of suburban tower developments to become vibrant and active communities.
A Reversal of Direction for TransCanada
TransCanada, the company that hoped to build a Canada-to-Gulf Coast pipeline, now wants to build one to carry Bakken oil from North Dakota to Canada, transporting oil now hauled only by trains that have caused recent deadly explosions.

Canada Is Looking Better and Better
Alan Mallach unpacks a remarkable project currently underway in Toronto, suggesting that sometimes higher, rather than lower, density may be the best way to go.

Power Rankings: Celebrity Advocates
Nothing helps an advocacy organization like name recognition. Brad Pitt, for instance.
Canada Ready to Renegotiate Critical Columbia River Treaty
The U.S. and Canada have come to an agreement that it's time to renegotiate a treaty that governs the management of dams and water along the Columbia River—one of the largest rivers on the continent.
President Obama and Prime Minister Trudeau Agree to Reduce Methane Emissions
Climate change was front and center at a Thursday morning joint press conference at the White House, where U.S. President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed to several energy, environmental, and Arctic initiatives.

From 'Traffic' Planning to 'Transportation' Planning: Toronto's Pivot to the Future
Ken Greenberg, the former director of architecture and urban design for the city of Toronto, sits down to discuss how Toronto needs to transform to ensure a less auto-reliant future that serves a changing demographic of younger urban dwellers.
Vancouver and Toronto Lead Big Increases in Canadian Housing Prices
The bloated cost of housing in Vancouver and Toronto has raised concerns among market analysts about a potential correction. Presumably, people in Canada are also worried about the price of housing.
A New Generation of Subway Cars Coming to New York
The first "open gangway" subway cars are due to arrive in New York in 2020. These cars enable passengers to freely walk between cars without having to struggle to open doors to access an adjacent car.
Pagination
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service