Infrastructure
Popularity of Electric Vehicles Threatens Viability of Bay Area's Express Lanes
The California DMV announced that the maximum of 85,000 Green Clean Air Vehicle Decals had been issued to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, denying new Volt and plug-in Prius owners the coveted sticker allowing them free access to HOV and HOT lanes.
Vote on 2015's Best and Worst Developments in Streets
Streetsblog is calling for voters in the 2015 Streetsie awards—make your opinion count about the year's biggest developments in multi-modal transportation.
Remix Promises to Streamline Transit Planning
Based out of San Francisco, Remix is an intuitive, data-rich tool for transit planners as they consider new routes. All you need to do is draw out the line on a map and add stops.
What's Wrong With Removing Sidewalks in the Name of Pedestrian Safety?
Broken Sidewalk analyzes an example of the kind of street design decisions continuing to encroach on pedestrian infrastructure around the country. The case study: Ninth Street in Louisville.
States React to Tax Impacts of Dropping Gas Prices
Certain states have had to scramble to restructure their gas taxes as gas prices have dropped—and kept dropping—lest transportation funds hit empty.
Unique Garbage Challenges in Juneau
Juneau, Alaska's tiny capital city, is not accessible from elsewhere by road. Its isolation makes waste disposal problematic and expensive, spurring an aggressive recycling effort.
Soaking-Up New York's Filthy Water With a Sponge Park
A 2,100 square foot park on the banks of New York City's Gowanus Canal is part of a plan to catch pollutants from storm off from draining into the already polluted waterway.
Wastewater Treatment Plant to Produce Fuel for City Vehicles
With transportation the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in California, San Mateo will be the first city to reduce emissions by using biogas produced at its wastewater treatment plant for use in city vehicles.
Help Has Arrived for Dallas' Aging Arts District
With sidewalks in disrepair and shabby looking trees, Dallas has turned to planning and design firm NBBJ to create a new master plan for its Arts District.
Resilience Bonds Provide New Model for Infrastructure Financing
Local governments and utilities are overexposed and underinsured relative to an increasing threat from severe weather events. The Brookings Institution has released a report on a new funding tool to help meet these challenges.
A Call to Put Chicago in the Driver's Seat for North Lake Shore Drive Redesign
An op-ed calls for the Illinois Department of Transportation to end its car-friendly approach to the redesign of North Lake Shore Drive.
Better Management, Not Lane Additions, Will Increase Capacity on Virginia's I-66
New express lanes on I-66 inside the Capital Beltway on I-66 will be significant for two reasons. First, no lanes will be added. HOV lanes will be converted to HOT lanes. Second, revenue will go to options to get drivers out of cars, such as transit
Take the 'Green Line': Design Firm Pitches 40-Block Park on Broadway in New York
Perkins Eastman has created a splashy proposal for a linear, at-grade park running along a long stretch of one of New York's most famous avenues.
Shut It and Gut It: Anchorage Takes Hard Look at Transit Center
After 500 hours of analyzing its downtown transit center, Anchorage officials have come to one conclusion: The only way to fix this building is to shut it and gut it. The transit center, over three decades, has become a blight on Downtown.
A Conservationist Turns to the City
Journalist Alex Ulam speaks with Sarene Marshall, director of the Urban Land Institute's Center for Sustainability, about the role conservation is playing in fighting climate change and her role at the agency.
The Most Popular Planetizen Posts of 2015
The results of a year's worth of writing, reading, sharing, and commenting are in. These are the most popular Planetizen posts from the year 2015.
Planning Programs to Watch in the Federal Omnibus Spending Bill
Congress is on pace to wrap up a major piece of federal legislation before leaving for recess.
Visualizing the Drought in the Colorado River Basin
The Colorado River, drinking water source for one in ten Americans, is severely impacted. A new interactive visualization illustrates just how dramatic the problem has become.
Dissecting the National Infrastructure Bank Idea
Hillary Clinton recently proposed the creation of a national infrastructure bank—an idea also put forward several times by the Obama Administration. Posts by Vox and City Observatory put the idea under a microscope.
When 'Vision Zero' Conflicts With Local Politics
Community leaders sometimes present the biggest obstacles when and where the rubber hits the road on Vision Zero traffic safety improvements. New York City Mayor de Blasio is pushing for more power for the DOT.
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
