Infrastructure

Texas Bullet Train Company Owes Hundreds of Thousands in Property Taxes
The company planning to build a Houston-to-Dallas high-speed rail line is delinquent on at least $623,000 in property taxes on lots purchased for the project.

Report: Sustainable Transportation Proposals Face Costly, ‘Time-Consuming’ Environmental Studies
In another blow to California’s Environmental Quality Act, a new analysis shows that many green transportation projects are delayed or halted by an expensive, onerous review process and the threat of lawsuits.

A ‘Playbook’ for Better Bus Service, From King County Metro
King County Metro operates one of the nation’s busiest transit systems—without running any trains. The agency recently released a playbook as a guide to transit service.

Planning and the Complicated Causes and Effects of Congestion
What do planners know about congestion, and what can they do about it? Explanations and solutions are less obvious than they seem (part one of a three-part series).

Vision Zero Is Largely a Failure in the United States. Why?
From NIMBYism to entrenched traffic engineering culture, a variety of complex obstacles have prevented Vision Zero advocates from achieving the movement’s goals in the U.S.

How Japanese Cities Enable Toddlers To Roam Independently
A TV show featuring young Japanese children going on errands on their own highlights the differences between Japanese and American urban design that enable even toddlers to safely navigate big cities.

Protected Bike Lanes Deliver Numerous Benefits, Study Says. But Is it Enough to Change State Law?
Advocates in Philadelphia are pushing state lawmakers to finally pass a law to make it easier to install protected bike lanes on state routes.

Maryland Legislators Override Governor’s Veto to Support Regional Rail Investments
The latest round of Gov. Larry Hogan v. public transit goes to the latter.

Resilience Planning for Suburban Growth
Whether or not the suburban shift accelerated by the pandemic continues, policymakers can implement climate resilience strategies and guide sustainable growth in both cities and exurbs.

Proposed Offshore Wind Project Could Be the West Coast’s Largest
If approved, the plan to build a 2,000-megawatt facility off the coast of Washington State would be a milestone for floating offshore wind production in the United States.

The Net Zero Building Boom Is Ready to Scale
While the cultural and infrastructural changes necessary to eliminate carbon emissions from the transportation sector still seem far-fetched, scaling up a net zero building boom is “eminently possible.”

European Union Takes Initial Step to Ban Russian Energy Imports
After a second day of talks in Brussels, ambassadors to the European Union agreed to ban coal imports from Russia as evidence of widescale atrocities committed by Russian troops in Ukraine surfaced after their withdrawal from the outskirts of Kyiv.

The Trouble With Slip Lanes
Right-turn lanes can make traffic flow more smoothly, but make roadway conditions more dangerous for pedestrians and other road users on non-motorized vehicles.

New Bike Lanes Coming to Long Island City
Three new bike lanes will help connect the region's bikeway system and improve safety on the city's roads and bridges.

Report: U.S. Pedestrians Keep Dying at Higher Rates
Pedestrian deaths rose again in the first half of 2021, according to research from the Governors Highway Safety Administration.

How Rural Transit Systems Are Doing More With Less
With limited resources and dispersed service areas, rural transit systems are turning to technology to provide on-demand service and improve transit options for residents.

Making Broadband Investments Count
As connectivity becomes increasingly important to everyday life, policymakers at all levels can take action to streamline broadband infrastructure projects and improve internet access for all communities.

Housing Providers Build Bridges Over the Digital Divide
Internet connectivity has become as important as basic utilities, but millions of people who live in affordable housing still lack access to devices and connections. Housing managers are finding innovative ways to fix that.

New York City Council Pushing for Major Investments in Bus and Bike Lanes
The $3.1 billion requested by the New York City Council to build 500 miles of new bus lanes and 500 miles of protected bus lanes isn't included in New York Mayor Eric Adams's proposed budget.

Tactical Urbanism Takes Hold in Missoula
Community organizations are taking action to transform the city and pave the way for permanent infrastructure improvements.
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