Infrastructure
Sparks Fly at Congressional Hearing on Flint Water Crisis
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy sat side-by-side at a Congressional hearing on the lead exposure suffered by citizens of Flint.
Metro Service Resumes After Electrical Problems Detected and Repaired
The nation's second busiest subway system reopened as planned on Thursday at 5 a.m. after being shut down for safety reasons on Wednesday after fixing several electrical problems found in 26 areas during the inspection. Electrical problems hit BART.
Light Rail Extension Opens on Saturday in Seattle
A $1.9 billion light rail extension, connecting to the University of Washington campus and the Capitol Hill neighborhood, will open to the public this weekend.
No Metrorail Today in Washington, D.C.
At midnight last night, the Washington, D.C. region's trains stopped for a sudden, potentially alarming safety inspection. Commuters, rerouted and upset, were only given a day's notice of the impending systemwide shutdown.
$120 Billion Transportation Bond May Be Headed to Los Angeles County Voters
The transit and road measure, based on extending and increasing half-cent sales taxes, would fund a massive amount of light rail, bus, and road measures, including building a Sepulveda Pass tunnel which would accommodate a toll road and rail line.
The Next Frontier for Compact Walkability? It's Gotta Be the Burbs
Suburban retrofit: what's next in issues, approaches, strategies, and tools.
New Guide Will Help You Take Action in the Streets
With a grant from the Knight Foundation, Street Plans is creating the "Tactical Urbanist's Guide to Materials and Design" to provide engineer-approved materials guidance for citizen-led demonstration, and city-led pilot and interim design projects.
The E-commerce Revolution
The internet has revolutionized the way people shop. From Amazon's Prime service, to grocery stores offering online ordering and delivery or store pick-up, the retail landscape has changed and so have brick-and-mortar shops and delivery methods.
Efforts to Increase Pedestrian Safety Take Hold in Nevada and Kentucky
With a new Governors Highway Safety Association report estimating that the number of pedestrian fatalities jumped 10 percent in 2015, the highest ever, we look at efforts in Nevada and Louisville, Ky. to increase pedestrian safety.
Friday Funny: John Oliver Skewers Special Districts
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver tackles the corruption and mismanagement of special districts, which are well known to professional planners, but perhaps not to the rest of the general public.
Chicago Moves Forward on O'Hare Express
This month, the city of Chicago will choose a team of engineers to brainstorm an express rail line to O'Hare Airport. The plan has come under criticism for diverting future resources away from transit in low-income areas.
Chicago Buys $1.3 Billion in New Rail Cars
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will replace half its rail cars by the year 2020.
Report Ranks the Cities With the Most Active Commuters
A benchmarking report by the Alliance for Biking and Walking reveals Boston as the nation's leader in active commutes.
Texas 288 Tollway: Big Public-Private Partnership Plans
A public-private partnership to build a large tollway south of Houston has taken important first steps. Construction will commence later this year.
Top Priority for Federal Railroad Administration: Reducing Crossing Crashes
Vehicle crashes at grade crossings have emerged as a top priority for Sarah Feinberg, the new Federal Railroad Administrator. Fatalities at rail crossings in 2014 increased by 15 percent from 2013.
Improvements Vs. Cost: New Jerseyans Conflicted Over Infrastructure
Even after New Jersey experienced the most costly storm in it's history, residents strongly oppose any revenue raising strategies designed to fund infrastructure updates and maintenance.
Uncovering the Roman Roads Cutting Across England
An amateur archaeologist has taken modern technology to dig into history, unearthing the roads built by Romans over 2,000 years ago in England.
Economic Development: Do People or Places Come First?
Aaron Renn writes an argument against economic development investments in the form of stadiums, casinos and convention centers—favored by so many local governments.
The Life and Death of Urban Hierarchies
Kristen Jeffers writes that she's changed her mind about the existence of hierarchies among U.S. cities.
Feds Expect 40 Percent Growth in Freight in the Next 30 Years
A big data dump from the federal government earlier this week predicts drastic increases in the amount of freight that will be moving around the country in the next few decades.
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
