Transportation

People lounging on grass in Alamo Square park in San Francisco overlooking painted ladies Victorian houses and city skyline

Predictions for San Francisco’s Public Spaces

In 2023, will the city’s public spaces be reclaimed by cars, or will pandemic-era interventions lead to permanent change?

January 5, 2023 - San Francisco Chronicle

Blue Denver Connector transit van with wheelchair lift

On-Demand Transit Supplements Denver-Area Bus and Rail

Residents in far-flung parts of the region can connect to rail and bus lines and access local destinations through an on-demand service called the Denver Connector.

January 5, 2023 - The Denver Post

Three people with bikes stopping to chat on grassy field with Atlanta, Georgia skyline in background

Atlanta Considers E-Bike Subsidy

The city could join others in offering rebates on e-bikes to get more people out of their cars and reduce traffic and carbon emissions.

January 5, 2023 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Three bridges span the Ohio River between Covington and Cincinnati.

$1.6 Billion for Ohio River Bridge Included in Latest Federal Grant Announcements

The Biden administration this week spanned the country to announce over $2 billion in grant funding for bridge projects.

January 5, 2023 - The White House

Los Angeles Subway

Subway Ridership Still Lagging as Cities Come Back to Life

While other aspects of urban life are starting to recover to pre-pandemic ‘normals,’ ridership on the nation’s subway systems is still well below average levels.

January 5, 2023 - The Hill

Electric cars parked curbside and charging on a city street

Tech Trends for Cities and States

Smart cities technology is well behind schedule, but the technology industry hasn’t given up on new digital solutions, self-driving cars, curb management, and AI-powered systems.

January 4, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

Father riding cargo bike with one child in cargo basket and one child riding bike alongside on sunny tree-lined path

The Multi-Faceted Benefits of E-Bikes

Advocates say incentivizing e-bikes is a quick and effective way to reduce carbon emissions and shift U.S. transportation priorities away from car-oriented planning.

January 4, 2023 - NPR

Person on bike wearing backpack with small bus and Boston buildings in background

Massachusetts Passes New Road Safety Law

The legislation requires cars to keep four feet away from cyclists and other “vulnerable” road users and eases the process for lowering speed limits on state-owned roads.

January 4, 2023 - The Boston Globe

Capitol

What to Expect from U.S. Climate Policy in 2023

2022 was full of historic legislative accomplishments on climate policy. 2023 is unlikely to achieve the same significance, though the changing climate demands more of the same.

January 4, 2023 - The Washington Post

Black and white 25 mph speed limit sign on post with trees in background

Tacoma’s Lower Speed Limits Take Effect

The city hopes reducing speed limits will help them achieve their Vision Zero pledge.

January 3, 2023 - King 5 News

San Diego Waterfront

Opinion: To Meet Climate Goals, San Diego Must Improve Bike Infrastructure

The city wants to drastically reduce carbon emissions, but bike advocates argue it has not done enough to make biking and walking in the city safer and more convenient.

January 3, 2023 - San Diego Magazine

A view of Houston's freeways, with downtown in the background.

Rising Costs Threaten TxDOT’s $85 Billion Highway-Building Plans

Texas Transportation Commissioners must have a hangover—backing off its highway building ambitions just a few months after approving the $85 billion Unified Transportation Plan in August 2022.

January 3, 2023 - Houston Chronicle

Sunset view of downtown Youngstown, Ohio over a bridge

Hometown Bike Share Company to Launch in Youngstown

A Black-led, family-owned company is bringing e-bikes to the Ohio town.

January 3, 2023 - Next City

Construction Worker

The Infrastructure Sector Is Bleeding Workers

With an aging workforce and few new workers entering the sector, cities could find themselves short of the workers needed to build and maintain projects funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

January 2, 2023 - Route Fifty

An electric bicycle is shown with the legs of a human who is riding the e-bike.

Transportation Predictions for 2023

Seventeen transportation experts and professionals weigh in on what they think trends in the sector will look like in 2023.

January 1, 2023 - The Verge

Jersey City

Jersey City: A Vision Zero Success Story

The city has gone a full year with no traffic deaths while road violence in the rest of the country continues to grow.

December 30, 2022 - Bloomberg CityLab

New York City Subway

New York Subway Surpasses 1 Billion Riders for the First Time Since 2019

There’s still a long way to go for the nation’s busiest transit system to get back to pre-pandemic ridership levels, but New Yorkers crossed at least one symbolic threshold in 2022.

December 30, 2022 - AMNY

The interior of a Tesla, with a large video screen. The person behind the wheel is touching the screen.

Tesla Banned From Using ‘Full Self-Driving’ Name in California

On the heels of multiple crashes and a federal investigation, a state law bars the company from calling their software Full Self-Driving to avoid misleading consumers about the need for driver assistance.

December 29, 2022 - PC Magazine

Aerial view of Houston freeway interchanges with downtown skyline in background

Halted Interstate Expansion Could Proceed in Houston

Local and state officials have come to an ‘historic’ agreement that could move the stalled project forward.

December 28, 2022 - Houston Chronicle

Passengers line up to board a bus at a bus rapid transit station in Indianapolis.

2023 Could Be a Breakthrough Year for Buses

Funding bus rapid transit is the fastest and most cost-effective way to improve U.S. transit systems and bring transit within reach for more Americans.

December 28, 2022 - Curbed

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.