Transportation
The Not-Quite-20-Minute Neighborhood
Portland wants to create a series of "20-minute neighborhoods" -- places where people can walk, within 20 minutes, to most of the places they need to go and the services they need. Some neighborhoods are already there, but others have a ways to go.
The Wisdom and Future of Short-Run Transit
By looking at three Los Angeles examples of very short rail lines, writer Alissa Walker suggests that seemingly pointless but fun transit systems could be the best way to use transit to improve urban areas.
Livability Means Being Poor and Eating Only Iceberg Lettuce
Robert Steuteville comments on a recent article by Alan Pisarski that he says "regurgitates many of the heavy-handed arguments of the pro-sprawl, pro-highway crowd" in reaction to the Obama Administration's livability agenda.
New L.A. Planning Codes Could Create 'Transit Sprawl'
A new group of activists in Los Angeles is warning that recently approved changes to the city's planning code could make it easier for transit-related projects to be approved even if they are not in alignment with neighborhood planning documents.
Three Types of Cyclists
A study of cyclists in Ashland, Oregon has found three distinct types of bike riders, the majority of which are interesting in riding, but concerned about safety issues.
SF's Congestion Pricing Plan Advances
Three possibilities for tolling San Francisco's downtown have been advanced by the Board of Supervisors; two involve tolling the 'Southern Gateway', the only entrance to the peninsula city that is untolled. However, Prop 26 could doom the plan.
Glowing Trees Light the Way
Researchers in Taiwan have discovered that gold nanoparticles can create luminescence in tree leaves, opening the possibility of glowing trees that cold act as streetlights.
Indianapolis Transit Proposal Focuses On Frequency Over Coverage
After a year of outreach and research, Indy Connect has published its report yesterday outlining recommendations for the next 25 years of public transit expenditure. They call for $2.4 billion on transit and $8.4 on road expansion and maintenance.
One Nation Under One Card
A plan at the national level in India intends to put all buses, trains, rail, metro, ferry, taxis and even auto rickshaws under a common, contactless smart card.
Making a Safer Multi-Use Path
Pathways that are used by cyclists and pedestrians have shown a high rate of collisions. Some say the regulations for these multi-use paths should be updated.
Transit Tax Referendum May Be Blocked in Indiana
Voters in Indiana were set to vote on a referendum to raise money for an ambitious $2.4 billion transit plan, but now the state's Republican leaders say they'll block the effort.
Developing A Coexistence Between High Speed Rail and L.A.
Los Angeles architect Roger Sherman is trying to help guide the car-centric L.A. area into harmonious coexistence with the state's planned high speed rail.
Austin BRT Revived
Two bus rapid transit projects in Austin that have been delayed for years due to lack of funding have been revived.
Vancouver's Transit Options, With Pricetag
Mayors in metropolitan Vancouver are facing two options for expanding transit service in the region -- and a hard decision about how to generate the funding to make it happen.
Feds Pressure States to Spend Rail Funds
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently warned incoming Republican governors in Wisconsin and Ohio that dedicated stimulus funds must be spent on high-speed rail or returned, CNN reports.
Transit Transformation in New Orleans
Jonna McKone asks, "How can transportation and urban development—from housing to public spaces to landscaping—repair a blighted American city?"
Lassoing a Plan for El Paso
Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX will be getting 30,000 more troops under the Base Realignment and Closure program, which means a major effort to plan for the added people.
Amtrak Eying Abandoned Hudson Rail Tunnels
Amtrak may work with NJ Transit to build a second set of tunnels (previously known as ARC that was scuttled by NJ Gov. Christie) under the Hudson River, possibly to connect with New York's Penn Station, according to an Amtrak VP and NJ Transit.
Philly's Newest Bridge is Ped-and-Bike Friendly
Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron gives a thumbs up to the design of Philadelphia's new South Street Bridge, which includes a bike lane that connects to bike paths on each side.
Generation Y Increasingly Uninterested In Car Ownership
New analysis from the CNW group shows that the percentage of new cars sold to 21-34 year-olds hit a high of nearly 38 percent in 1985 but decreased to 27 percent today. The shift is changing life in our cities and manufacturers marketing strategies.
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
