Infrastructure

New York transportation carbon footprint map

CoolClimate Policy Tools

The CoolClimate Network's Interactive Policy Tools calculate and compare the GHG reductions provided by various emission reduction policies. These tools can help households, businesses and communities identify the best emission reduction strategies.

August 25, 2022 - CoolClimate Network Smart Tools for a Cooler Planet

Children playing in a Los Angeles schoolyard

Los Angeles Parents Demand Greener Schoolyards

With asphalt temperatures reaching as much as 150 degrees, parents and advocates are asking the city’s school district to provide more shade, trees, and other heat mitigation features on its schoolyards and playgrounds.

August 24, 2022 - CBS Los Angeles

Red Metrorail train in downtown Houston, Texas

Houston Inches Toward Reduced Car Dependency

The city is investing more in biking, walking, and public transit, but a lack of funding and counterproductive moves from the Texas Department of Transportation are slowing the process of shifting away from personal automobile dependency.

August 24, 2022 - Houston Public Media

A pair of electric cars plugged into charge at facilities in the corner of a shopping center parking lot.

Electric Driving Is the Future; Now Is the Time to Price It

EVs are great, but they’re not perfect. Let’s end their free ride.

August 24, 2022 - Adam Millard-Ball and Michael Manville

Children playing in a splash pad

World’s First Municipal ‘Heat Officers’ Combat Extreme Heat

As extreme heat threatens infrastructure and public health, municipal ‘heat officers’ work to develop cooling strategies to keep urban residents safe from increasingly hot temperatures.

August 23, 2022 - Next City

The trees, benches, and other landscape elements of a park are submerged in brown flood waters.

Fort Worth Spending More on Flood Control; Still Well Short of What’s Needed

Fort Worth could spend $136 million on stormwater infrastructure and flood control over the next five years. In all, the city needs more like $1 billion of investment.

August 23, 2022 - Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Town sign for Mojave, California

Inland Port Planned for Mojave Desert

California’s Kern County approved plans to build a 410-acre logistics hub to expand capacity for cargo coming from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

August 22, 2022 - Globe St.

U.S> Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg delivers a speech in front of a bridge in Washington, D.C. The podium where he stands has a sign that reads: "Building a Better America."

How Locals Are Planning to Spend $2.2 Billion in RAISE Transportation Grants

The U.S. Department of Transportation earlier this month announced $2.2 billion in RAISE grants. The Biden administration has promised that the RAISE grant program will improve equity and sustainability in the nation's transportation systems.

August 22, 2022 - James Brasuell

View of buildings in Bangkok business district through extremely orange sunlight

What Is the Urban Heat Island Effect?

Man-made surfaces and urban density contribute to higher temperatures, intensifying heat waves and posing a growing danger to public health.

August 21, 2022 - Diana Ionescu

Colorado River

Department of the Interior Forced to Intervene on the Colorado River

More questions than answers on the Colorado River this week as the federal government failed to deliver on threats to force Southwest states to cut back on water use.

August 19, 2022 - High Country News

Two cyclists on a paved bike trail through short grass with Dallas buildings in background

Dallas Names 66-Mile Bike and Walking Trail

When complete, the newly named DFW Discovery Trail will incorporate 50 miles of existing trails into a regional ‘super highway.’

August 19, 2022 - The Dallas Morning News

Pedestrians crossing a busy crosswalk on New York City street with tall buildings in background

Vision Zero Still a Pipe Dream as Road Deaths Continue to Climb

U.S. traffic fatalities hit a twenty-year peak in the first quarter of 2022.

August 19, 2022 - Route Fifty

110 Freeway

Opinion: Los Angeles Transportation Plan Will Increase Driving

L.A. Metro’s plan to add hundreds of miles of new traffic lanes is projected to increase carbon emissions by 10 million metric tons.

August 18, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

Denver Region

What Is the Transect?

In urbanism and planning, the term transect provides a conceptual framework for understanding how the scale of built environments can vary from place to place.

August 18, 2022 - James Brasuell

Two cyclists on a wooden bike bridge across a bayou with downtown Houston skyline in background

Houston Bike Advocates Propose Two Bridges Across White Oak Bayou

An as-yet-unfunded proposal to build two new bridges would create essential connections and help riders avoid a mile-plus detour.

August 18, 2022 - Houston Chronicle

Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City Streets To Get Traffic Calming

After a 19-year hiatus, the city is restarting its traffic calming program to combat the growing pedestrian death crisis.

August 17, 2022 - The Salt Lake Tribune

Galveston, Texas

Flooding 210 Days a Year—No Storms Necessary

It no longer takes a storm to cause flooding in many coastal areas of the United States. Galveston, Texas could eventually face floods more than half the days of the year.

August 16, 2022 - Houston Chronicle

A two-lane highway cuts through a small canyon. The photo is taken from the perspective of a vehicle on the road.

Rhode Island Funding Highway Expansion Despite Poor Road Conditions

In a Strong Towns article passionately argued by Charles Marohn, Rhode Island’s penchant for building new highway capacity while the rest of the state’s roads crumble is compared to Emperor Nero.

August 16, 2022 - Strong Towns

Sound Transit Light Rail Extensions

Checking in on the Progress of the Sound Transit 3 Plan

The Seattle area's $53.8 billion transit expansion plan is moving along in fits and starts.

August 15, 2022 - The Seattle Times

Denver Union STation TOD

Colorado Could Reject Highway Expansion in Favor of Climate-Friendly Planning

A proposed transportation strategy could shift the state’s focus away from driving and toward incentivizing public transit use, walking, and biking.

August 15, 2022 - Colorado Public Radio

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.