Infrastructure

Portland Oregon Bus

Riding the Bus in Portland: An Essay

Blogger and transit consultant Jarrett Walker paints a picture of Portland's Line 75, a workaday bus serving urban neighborhoods outside downtown. His reflections on radial and orbital journeys are worth a read.

July 5, 2016 - Bus75.org

Roman Aqueduct

The Place of Water in Urban Design: An International Perspective

How cities around the world have approached thinking about how water management fits in to urban planning.

July 5, 2016 - The Planning Report

Community Meeting

The 3 Most Common Community Engagement Mistakes

Planners, like any other professionals, live in a kind of bubble. Those charged with dealing with the public run the risk of expecting too much from residents as they design community engagement activities. Here are some of the most common mistakes.

July 5, 2016 - Dave Biggs

Trans Alaska Oil Pipeline

A Great Lakes Oil Spill Waiting to Happen

Operated by Canadian oil giant Enbridge, Line 5 is an underwater pipeline running beneath the Mackinac Straits, which connect Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas. A rupture in the aging pipes could mean catastrophe.

July 5, 2016 - Pacific Standard

Contraflow

Washington, D.C. Has New Contraflow Bike Lanes

Sometimes small additions can make a big difference when it comes to bike infrastructure.

July 4, 2016 - Greater Greater Washington

Port of Oakland

Environmental Justice Wins With Coal Ban in Oakland

The City Council in Oakland, California took its first, substantive steps toward banning the handling and storage of coal in the city.

July 3, 2016 - NBC Bay Area

Buffalo Bayou Park

Final Advice for the Houston Bike Plan as it Nears the Finish Line

Bike advocates are hoping that the Houston Bike Plan can achieve full council approval in July. The Houston Chronicle hopes the bike plan will be for everyone (not just hipsters).

July 2, 2016 - Houston Chronicle

Sunrise Expressway

First New Portland-Area Highway in 34 Years Opens Today

The sun rises on the new Sunrise Expressway in Oregon.

July 1, 2016 - The Oregonian

Sea Level

An In-Depth Look at Sea Level Rise in the San Francisco Bay Area

The San Francisco Chronicle gives feature-length, in-depth treatment to the looming dangers of sea level rise, which are more likely to encroach on the built and natural environments of the Bay Area with every passing year.

July 1, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

Mexico City from the air

Mexico City Coalition Dreams of Restoring Rivers

A proposal to restore Mexico City's 45 rivers envisions a whole new model for the city.

July 1, 2016 - CityLab

Straphangers

Mapping the World of Bacteria Alive in the World's Subways

A project launched several years ago in New York City is making its way to cities around the world—much like the bacteria that the world's billions of transit users transfer around the surfaces of subway trains, stations, and buses.

June 29, 2016 - Centre for Genomic Regulation

Wind farm and greenhouse gas farm, together

Why is Missouri Holding Up a High-Voltage Transmission Line for Wind Energy?

The 'Show Me State' nixed a 780-mile high voltage transmission line to carry wind energy generated in western Kansas through Missouri to Indiana, where it would transmitted to the East Coast.

June 29, 2016 - Columbia Daily Tribune

Sweden to Test Overhead Power Lines for Heavy Transport

Electric roads (no, not solar powered pavement) will get a test run in Sweden.

June 29, 2016 - Green Car Congress

Highway Interchange

It's the 60th Birthday of the Interstate Highway System

A new report commemorates the 60th birthday of the interstate highway system with statistics (some politically motivated) that summarize the state of the nation's largest public works project.

June 29, 2016 - USA Today

Busy Crossing Street

New York Launches New Pedestrian Safety Plan

The New York State Pedestrian Safety Action Plan will invest $110 million to improve pedestrian safety in the state of New York.

June 28, 2016 - The Lansing Star

Empty Subway

D.C. Metro to Layoff 500 Employees

More bad news for the beleaguered transit agency of our nation's capital, as declining ridership and prolonged service disruptions have now given way to large-scale layoffs throughout the organization.

June 27, 2016 - The Washington Post

Caltrain

Legislation Advanced to Release State Funding for Caltrain Electrification

As a result of a critical lawsuit that California high-speed rail opponents lost last March, a bill to release $1.1 billion in 2008 bond funds has been advanced to fund high-speed rail 'bookend' projects, particularly Caltrain electrification.

June 26, 2016 - Associated Press

Los Angeles Metro

Who Does Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s New Funding Plan Leave Out?

If the Metro Board passes the proposed $40 billion expenditure plan, millions of Los Angeles residents will still not have access to good public transit for decades.

June 25, 2016 - The Planning Report

Portland

Planetizen Week in Review: June 24, 2016

The biggest news stories of a big week in planning and land use—all in just over two minutes.

June 24, 2016 - Planetizen

Lake Powell

Is Glen Canyon Dam Obsolete?

As climate changes in the Rockies and the southwest, Lake Powell is gradually shrinking. The debate over Glen Canyon Dam is on again, and this time environmentalists aren't the only ones against it.

June 23, 2016 - Pacific Standard

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.