Infrastructure

A Citizen-Led Plan Would Revamp Salt Lake’s Transit and Freeway Mix
The Rio Grande Plan would restore rail service to the Rio Grande Depot and reconnect a community divided by a freeway in Salt Lake City.

Scottsdale Cuts Water Supply to Nearby Suburb
The city claims it has no responsibility to provide water to the unincorporated Maricopa County community.

Oklahoma Turnpike Expansion Project Challenged by Lawsuits
A recent court ruling could turn the tide against a roadway expansion plan that threatens to displace homes and businesses and that locals say was pushed through with little transparency or community input.

Cities Need Data to Secure and Maximize Federal Funding
To secure and maintain federal funding for projects and programs, local governments need data to identify priorities, support grant applications, and monitor and track progress.

L.A.’s Water Diversions Threaten Critical Habitat Far to the North
Water levels at Mono Lake, nestled in a stunningly beautiful location on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevadas that provides the eastern gateway to Yosemite, have fallen to a critical level of a local population of nesting gulls.

California’s Reservoirs are Filling Up, but For How Long?
Recent storms are bringing plenty of water to parched parts of California, but scientists warn the relief won’t be a long-term solution to longer, drier periods.

What Draws Conspiracy Theorists to Traffic Calming Plans?
Proposals for road diets, ‘15-minute cities,’ and other traffic reduction programs often meet with unfounded conspiracy theories claiming that the plans are nothing short of steps to world domination.
Multimodal Improvements Coming to Houston
The city is continuing its investment in safety and accessibility improvements for transit riders, pedestrians, and cyclists.

Indianapolis Launches Fatal Crash Review Commission
The group is tasked with making a deeper assessment of the underlying infrastructural causes of fatal crashes and recommending improvements.

Meta’s Plans to Revive an Old Rail Bridge Halted During the Pandemic
The company formerly known as Facebook’s once planned to revive the Dumbarton Rail Bridge across the San Francisco Bay. Those plans are as derelict as the bridge.

Chicago Transportation Advocates Launch ‘Safe Streets for All’ Coalition
The group brings together advocates for road safety and better transit in the hope of influencing local elections and city policy.

Miami-Dade Issues ‘Extreme Heat Action Plan’
The county’s plan addresses a range of infrastructure improvements and community resources that could limit the impacts of extreme heat waves.

Pedestrian Deaths Spike in King County Cities
Eight cities in Washington’s King County saw sharp increases in traffic fatalities, signaling a need for more robust road safety and traffic calming policies.

The High Cost of Climate Disasters
Extreme weather events in the United States cost $165 billion and killed more than 474 people last year.

U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Continue Post-Pandemic Rebound in 2022
Renewables generated more electricity than coal in 2022, according to preliminary estimates. Greenhouse gases still rose, however, due mostly to increased emissions from buildings.

Madison Adopts ‘Complete Green Streets’ Plan
The new document consolidates the city’s Complete Streets projects with its sustainability plan, providing a flexible framework for comprehensive actions that focus on safety, sustainability, and equity.

New Map Deepens Understanding of Cross-Border Aquifers
A new analysis of U.S. and Mexico groundwater supplies reveals 72 aquifers shared between the two countries.

What Is a Road Diet?
A road diet ‘trims down’ multilane roadways by reallocating street space to uses other than car traffic, improving safety for pedestrians, encouraging multimodal travel, and enhancing overall livability.

E-Bikes and the Bike Infrastructure of the Future
What will the future hold for cycling and bike infrastructure? With the introduction of e-bikes, the landscape of cycling, and even the definition of a bike, is changing.

The Slow Growth of Solar Carports
Placing solar panels over parking lots has multiple benefits, but higher costs have prevented their widespread adoption in U.S. cities.
Pagination
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