Infrastructure

Historic Deep Ellum street sign, Dallas, Texas

Dallas City Council to Vote on Controversial Freeway Trenching Plan

A proposal to bury part of Interstate 345 in a 65-foot trench is the latest in a debate that has lasted more than ten years as the freeway reaches the end of its useful life.

May 16, 2023 - D Magazine

Vividly colored orange and red autumn trees along sidewalk in Nashville, Tennessee

Court Rules Against Nashville Sidewalk Ordinance

The city can no longer require developers to pay for or build sidewalks.

May 15, 2023 - Courthouse News Service

Aerial view of Sioux Falls, South Dakota at sunset

Sioux Falls To Update Bike and Pedestrian Plans

The South Dakota city wants to encourage more biking and develop a comprehensive bike trail network.

May 12, 2023 - Sioux Falls Simplified

Crew in orange safety vests stand on roadway next to orange heavy equipment

Opinion: The Slippery Slope of Privatizing Public Works

The Biden administration is changing course on a century of policy in public works ownership and management, signaling a concerning shift toward privately owned, profit-driven utilities and other essential services.

May 12, 2023 - The New York Times

Sunset view of Gateway Arch and downtown St. Louis, Missouri

Residents Oppose St. Louis County’s Proposed Ban on Walking in Roadways

While the bill’s sponsor calls it a safety measure, advocates for people with disabilities, joggers, and other groups say the bill would unfairly target them.

May 11, 2023 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Worker in yellow safety suit holding up orange SLOW sign on road

How Cities are Spending Safe Streets Funds

New federal grant programs are injecting millions of dollars into road safety projects in an effort to stem the alarming growth of traffic deaths on U.S. roads.

May 10, 2023 - Governing

A system map of the B Line shows the route and stops where the bus rapid transit route cuts across Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.

New Bus Rapid Transit Route Breaks Ground in the Twin Cities

The Twin Cities are on a mission to become the bus rapid transit capital of the United States. The latest improvement to advance that ambition broke ground earlier this week.

May 10, 2023 - Pioneer Press

An image taken from the point of view of a driver on a mostly empty freeway, with large overpasses overhead.

Missouri to Spend $2.8 Billion Widening I-70

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson had a $859 million vision to expand I-70 in key parts of the state. State legislators had an even more ambitious vision.

May 9, 2023 - The Kansas City Star

Close-up of pedestrian crossing button at a crosswalk in Los Angeles

Report: Racial Gap in Traffic Deaths Persists

Communities of color have significantly higher rates of traffic fatalities, according to federal research.

May 9, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

A bike rider navigates a bike lane in a traffic limited zone in Italy, where only one delivery van is visible on the street.

A Toolkit of Urban Vehicle Access Regulations to Improve Livability

You may have heard Paris is implementing traffic restrictions, but did you know that Paris is very late to the party? European cities, big and small, have been implementing measures to keep traffic from destroying urban quality of life for decades.

May 8, 2023 - World Transport Policy and Practice

Wheelchair ramp at outdoor train station

ADA Compliance Slowly Makes Headway

Decades of advocacy are paying off, but it often takes legal action to force cities to make accessibility improvements mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act over thirty years ago.

May 4, 2023 - Diana Ionescu

Two-lane asphalt road in Washington state with pine trees along sides and Mt. Rainier in background

Washington Road Safety Bills Fail to Advance

Several bills aimed at reducing traffic deaths fell by the wayside in the state legislature, despite the growing rate of road fatalities.

May 4, 2023 - The Urbanist

Elon Musk appears on stage in front of a backdrop of information about the Boring Company.

Las Vegas Doubles Down on Elon Musk and the Boring Co.

The Clark County Commission wants more Teslas in more tunnels.

May 4, 2023 - News 3

An Amtrak train waits at the Uptown Station in Normal, Illinois on its way from Chicago to St. Louis.

Chicago-St. Louis Corridor Trains Cleared for 110-mph Speeds

Amtrak has final federal approval for train speeds of 110 miles per hour between Joliet and Alton, culminating almost ten years of planning and investing.

May 4, 2023 - Amtrak

Pink light before morning dawn sun reflects on clouds over downtown Nashville TN

Tennessee Approves Toll Lanes as Part of Transportation Package

Despite decades of resistance to tolling highway lanes, the Tennessee legislature passed a bill that authorizes the creation of ‘choice lanes.’

May 2, 2023 - Governing

Ottawa

Ottawa’s New Transportation Master Plan Sets 20-Year Planning Priorities

Canada’s capital city recently completed the first step toward adopting a new Transportation Master Plan.

May 2, 2023 - City of Ottawa

Unpaved road through Owens Lake bed with Sierra Nevada mountains in the background

California Braces for Floods After Historic Winter Storms

Emerging from a years-long drought, the state now faces significant flood risks as temperatures rise and the abundant snowpack begins to melt.

May 1, 2023 - Los Angeles Times

A map of the area of Virginia near Occoquan, Virginia shows. stretch of Interstate 95 that will be widened.

I-95 Widening Breaks Ground in Virginia

A mile-and-a-half-long section of Interstate 95, which handles 80,000 vehicle trips a day, will be expanded in Virginia. The project includes a new shoulder, lighting, and noise walls.

May 1, 2023 - WTOP

Many people on bikes riding on city street during CicLAvia event in Pasadena, California

Los Angeles County to Update Bike Master Plan

The plan will serve as a guide for the development of safe and accessible bikeways and paths within unincorporated areas of L.A. County and along County flood control district channels.

April 30, 2023 - Los Angeles County Public Works

Blurry speeding cars on an urban road

U.S. Road Deaths Keep Rising

Traffic safety advocates urge cities and states to lower speed limits and improve pedestrian infrastructure to stem the growth in traffic deaths and injuries.

April 27, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

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.