Infrastructure

Rural Transit Agencies Provide a Lifeline During the Pandemic
More evidence of the essential benefits of public transit, but this time the source of the evidence is found in rural communities all over the United States, like Hugo, Oklahoma.

Coronavirus Presents Opportunities for Resilience in Dallas
Dallasites have a history of responding to times of crisis with plans for reinvention. What could the city do to improve public life after the coronavirus pandemic?

Nostalgia for Detroit's Public Transit History
Five historic projects encapsulate a transit-oriented version of Southeastern Michigan that almost could have been.

Closure Averted, New York's L Train Repairs Also Finish Under Budget, Ahead of Schedule
A perhaps surprising measure of success has been achieved by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Criticism for Plans for Massive Inland Port Plan Near the Great Salt Lake
The Utah Inland Port Authority has moved forward quickly with a plan to build a massive inland port complex, despite the objections of local officials in Salt Lake City.

Atlanta Lowers Speed Limits Citywide
Vision Zero arrives in one of the country's most car-centric big cities.

A High-Rise Condo and Hotel Proposed for Downtown Los Angeles
A trendy new Downtown Los Angels skyscraper would be home to a 160-room hotel and 319 condominium units if an Australian developer moves forward with plans.

Where Cities Flout Flood Protection Rules, the Public Still Subsidizes Insurance
An investigation by the New York Times reveals the ongoing neglect of flood considerations in developing parts of the United States—practice that comes with large costs to the taxpaying public.

Density Debate Rages Alongside the Pandemic
Questions about how highly contested questions about the future of the built environment will reference COVID-19 for years to come. The question about whether that debate will achieve any actual change is still very much up for debate.

Removal Over Reconstruction: Rectifying Crumbling U.S. Highways
Successful urban highway deconstruction projects have swapped highways for boulevards and saw economic, public health, and urban design benefits. Will more cities opt for highway removal programs over reconstruction?

Congestion Pricing in Manhattan Likely Stuck in COVID-19 Limbo
The federal government was already slow to cooperate with a plan to charge automobile drivers for entering certain parts of Manhattan, but with coronavirus commanding so much attention, the project isn't likely to move forward any time soon.

$1 Billion Carbon Neutrality Plan Paused in Ann Arbor
The Ann Arbor City Council wants a more specific consideration of expenses before it will hold a final vote on the A2Zero carbon neutrality plan.

Clean Water Crisis Exacerbated by Coronavirus
Communities have demanded access to clean water for decades, in some cases. The coronavirus pandemic is compounding the struggle and illustrating the inadequacy of most local government responses.

Milan Commits to a Less Car-Centric New Normal
Milan is making changes to its streets to ensure that the city's residents and employment base don't overwhelm the city with new automobile traffic when the city reopens for business.

Road and Highway Construction Plan Expected to Take a $250 Million Hit in Colorado
The Colorado Department of Transportation might be building fewer roads than they had originally planned after the coronavirus recedes. A few projects already underway have been able to speed up.

Construction Errors Delay Crenshaw Light Rail in Los Angeles
The Crenshaw/LAX line, under construction in Los Angeles and passing through the city of Inglewood to connect the Expo and Green lines, was originally scheduled to open in 2019.

Opinion: Don't Allow Highway Boondoggles in Stimulus Spending
Instead of doubling down on the unsustainable planning and building practices, the current crisis offers a chance to hit reset, according to this article.

Is it Time to Revive the Pattern Language?
Software and other fields have made brilliant progress with the pattern language methodology, while built environment fields lag badly, mired in parochial debates over the massive book that invented the methodology.

Watch: The Future of Cities After COVID-19
An expert panel convened to discuss the effect of the coronavirus on the foundations of society and contemporary life. The future, both the remaining time dealing with the pandemic and after, is becoming more clear with every passing day and week.

The U.S. Passed a Clean Energy Stimulus in 2009—Can the Same Happen in 2020?
The Obama-era American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funded clean energy and created jobs during the Great Recession. Will clean energy be considered in a future stimulus bill to mitigate economic strain cased by the coronavirus pandemic?
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