Infrastructure
Cleveland Still Pondering Makeover for the Public Square
A plan to shut down streets around Cleveland's Public Square and make it a pedestrian friendly civic space has prompted many commenters to call for revisions to the plan, especially with regard to the square's heavy bus transit capacity.
When it Comes to Seismic Safety, It's Each City for Itself
Buildings constructed of unreinforced masonry get much if not most of the media's attention on seismic safety, but so-called 'soft story' wood buildings, often with garages on the ground floor, compose the greatest numbers of vulnerable buildings.
On the Death of the San Antonio Streetcar
When former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro began his new job as secretary of HUD, the all-but-built Modern Streetcar project fell prey to gathering Tea Party forces.
California Pauses $24 Billion Plan for Bay Delta Tunnels
The controversial Bay Delta Conservation Plan, in the works for seven years, has been placed on hold again. According to officials with the state Department of Resources, the delay comes in response to comments on the project's draft EIR.
St. Louis Facing Huge Costs from Aging Water Infrastructure
"The St. Louis region doesn’t face the prospect, as Western states do, of running out of water," according to Jacob Barker. But the region is facing a water problem: "aging infrastructure and capital spending that isn’t keeping up."
Napa Earthquake Shows Urgency of Building Retrofits
Sunday's powerful Bay Area earthquake brought attention to the urgent need to retrofit existing buildings in California. One expert stated the damage in Napa "was predictable." Do you know the three types of construction that need to be reinforced?
Sidewalks Left Out of Nashville Development Fee System
Josh Brown reports for the Tennessean on the unintended consequences of a fee waiver meant to encourage infill development—developers are readily choosing to pay the fee instead of building sidewalks.
How the One Percent Deals with Drought in California
Anna Louise Bardach tells the story of Montecito, California, an extremely wealthy enclave near Santa Barbara, which has enough money to buy its way out of the drought.
Senators Build Suspense Regarding Gas Tax Replacement
Keith Laing of The Hill breaks the news that two influential Republican U.S. Senators predict that the federal gas tax is on its "last legs." It will be replaced with an (unnamed) user fee when the current transportation funding bill expires May 31.
Pedestrians vs. Bicyclists: How to Make Peace
In this op-ed special to The Sacramento Bee, Michael Andersen of PeopleForBikes and Melissa Merson of America Walks make a convincing argument for protected bike lanes to improve both bike and pedestrian safety by getting cyclists off the sidewalk.
The Future of Urban Planning: Zoning for Drones
Efforts to regulate the use of drones within the United States have consisted entirely of banning their use, rather than taking advantage of their utility. Yet an alternative approach does exist, relying on municipal zoning ordinances.
Floods Create Trash Collection Stink in Oakland County
Recent heavy rains in Oakland County, north of Detroit, have required the local waste authority to make temporary arrangements for sewage-soaked trash. Residents are not happy.
Voters in Cleveland to Decide Fate of Automatic Traffic Cameras
In November, voters in Cleveland can decide whether or not to ban the use of automatic traffic cameras to catch red-light violators.
Hacking Traffic Lights with a Laptop
A study by computer scientists from the University of Michigan shows how easy it is to hack and control traffic lights.
The Solution to Los Angeles' Crumbling Sidewalks
Parking guru Donald Shoup discusses how the city of Los Angeles can fix its roughly 4,300 miles of sidewalk that require some degree of repair, for free.
Portland Building First Multi-Modal Bridge—No Cars Allowed
To connect the South Waterfront area with the rest of the city, Portland is building a multi-modal bridge accommodating tram lines, streetcars, light rail lines, bicyclists, and pedestrians, but not automobiles.
Lean Urbanism: A Century-Old Practice?
A short case study in Lean Urbanism, compliments of Victoria Beach, Manitoba.
Protestors Gather after Budget Cuts Eliminate Omaha's Bike/Ped Planner
Despite the protestations of local advocacy groups, councilmembers, and the former director of planning, Mayor Jean Stothert is moving a head with a budget proposal that would eliminate Omaha's only planner dedicated to bike and pedestrian plans.
Bike Infrastructure Study: Bigger Investments Return Bigger Payoff
You get what you pay for, goes the old saying, and a new study out of New Zealand makes the case that when it comes investing in bike infrastructure, it's best to invest in quality.
California Voters to Consider $7.5 Billion Water Bond
It isn't always a drought in California, but the state's Legislature is always fighting over investments in water storage and delivery infrastructure. This week's 11th hour action will put a $7.5 billion water bond before the voters in November.
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
