Transportation

Columbus

Columbus Weighs Revisions to Outdated, Inequitable Zoning Code

The city is seeking ways to boost affordable housing development and encourage mixed-use, transit-oriented development.

April 5, 2022 - WOSU

Downtown Houston overlooking Interstate 45.

Cost Estimates Go up for Houston Freeway Project

The contentious reconfiguration of Interstate 45 is now estimated to cost $274 million more as the project faces community opposition and a federal investigation.

April 4, 2022 - Houston Chronicle

The first all electric zero emission bus built in Lancaster, California

How Small Cities Can Lead in Electrification

Smaller transit systems may be effectively positioned to take the lead in electrifying their fleets and bringing electric vehicles to a wider range of communities.

April 4, 2022 - Curbed

Google Maps street view of intersection of Romaine and Serrano in Los Angeles, California

DIY Crosswalks Appear in Hollywood

A group claiming the city of Los Angeles fails to protect pedestrians is taking action on their own, painting a set of crosswalks at a busy residential intersection.

April 4, 2022 - NPR

Dallas

East Dallas Delays Complete Street Project

A controversial traffic calming and safety overhaul of some East Dallas streets won't be completed until 2025, but will include improved crosswalks and signals.

April 4, 2022 - D Magazine

Pedestrian Crosswalk

What is Vision Zero?

First adopted by the Swedish parliament in 1997, Vision Zero is a strategy aimed at eliminating pedestrian deaths by improving road design and infrastructure with a focus on safety.

April 3, 2022 - Diana Ionescu

Google Street View of Bike lane outside Gillman's Hardware Store in Chicago

Do Bike Lanes Actually Cause Business Loss?

The often unsubstantiated assumption that loss of street parking due to bike lane installations leads to lost business can have a chilling effect on bike infrastructure.

April 1, 2022 - Streetsblog Chicago

Detroit Public Transit

Michigan Bill To Inject Nearly $5 Billion in Infrastructure, Housing

A bill signed by the state's governor, Gretchen Whitmer, allocates billions in federal and state funding to water quality, roads and dams, broadband, and other infrastructure projects.

April 1, 2022 - Detroit Free Press

BART Train

California Bill Would Mandate Seamless Transit

With 27 transit agencies, traveling across the Bay Area can be a daunting task. Advocates for 'seamless transit' want to change that.

March 31, 2022 - TransitCenter

Rendering of Memorial Park land bridge

First Part of Houston 'Land Bridge' Opens to Public

The land bridge over Memorial Drive will return 100 acres of green space to the area and provide a safe, convenient connection for humans and wildlife between the two sides of Memorial Park.

March 31, 2022 - Houston Chronicle

Tidal flooding at Brickell Bay Drive and 12 Street, Downtown Miami

Miami City Commissioners Vote to Reinstate Downtown Parking Minimums

It's unclear when the law will take effect, but the Miami City Commission has approved that an ordinance that heads in the opposite direction of current planning trends and even the city's own groundbreaking zoning code.

March 31, 2022 - The Next Miami

French Density

The Mathematics in Support of Urban Density

The strongest case for urban density can't be made in terms of aesthetics, according to this article.

March 30, 2022 - Full Stack Economics

Denver Regional Transit

Colorado Proposal Would Fund Free Summer Transit

The state is weighing a plan to offer free transit rides during ozone-heavy months in an effort to improve the state's air quality.

March 30, 2022 - Colorado Public Radio

Pedestrianized Ocean Drive, Miami Beach

Pedestrians Briefly Take Back Miami Beach's Ocean Drive

Miami Beach reopened Ocean Drive to vehicles earlier this year at the request of hotel owners. So many pedestrians showed up to the famous street on a weekend earlier this month, however, that cars were blocked once again.

March 30, 2022 - The Next Miami

Downtown Seattle

Seattle Monorail Celebrates 60 Years

"There's nothing on earth like a genuine, bona fide, electrified, six-car monorail."

March 29, 2022 - The Seattle Times

A pair of vintage Siemens–Duewag U2 trolleys roll out of a garage in Memphis.

Memphis Testing Vintage Siemens U2 Trolley Cars—With Service Expected to Open Later This Year

Originally designed for use in Frankfurt, Germany, the Siemens–Duewag U2 was used in Canada and San Diego before now coming to Memphis.

March 29, 2022 - ABC24

Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati To Consider $1 Million Traffic Calming Program

A proposal before Cincinnati's city council would boost traffic calming initiatives and use innovative technology to slow traffic on some of the city's most dangerous streets.

March 29, 2022 - Cincinnati.com

Orlando Rail Transit

Orlando Rail Driving Transit-Oriented Development

Central Florida's SunRail commuter train is spurring dozens of transit-oriented housing projects near its stations.

March 29, 2022 - Orlando Business Journal

Washington State Electric Car Infrastructure

New 'Human-Centered' EV Charging Stations Aim To Improve User Experience

Volkswagen-owned Electrify America plans to make its new charging stations more user-friendly with solar panel awnings and waiting lounges.

March 28, 2022 - The Verge

The cover of the AARP Walk Audit Tool Kit shows silhouettes of people crossing a street.

Free From AARP: Walk Audit Tool Kit and Worksheets

AARP recently published an all new, 28-page, image-filled guide—and 11 downloadable worksheets—for how to assess and report on the safety and walkability of a street, intersection, or neighborhood.

March 28, 2022 - AARP

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.