Michigan
Safety or Freight: What's the Top Priority for U.S. 131 Redesign Project in Grand Rapids?
Urban designers are playing the advocate in a Michigan Department of Transportation study that is considering ways to reconfigure U.S. Highway 131 where it curves through Downtown Grand Rapids.
Great Lakes To Receive $1 Billion from Infrastructure Bill For Restoration
An additional $1 billion in federal funding will bolster current efforts to clean polluted water sources and restore ecosystems in the Great Lakes region.
How Policymakers Are Grappling With the Racist Legacy of Urban Freeways
In Michigan, the state's Department of Transportation is looking for ways to mitigate the damage caused by decades of urban renewal policies and reconnect neighborhoods cut off from amenities and opportunities by highway projects.
Omicron Breaks Another Pandemic Record: Hospitalizations
The highly infectious Omicron variant is contributing to a record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S. The record set in last winter's surge fell on Tuesday as hospitals suffer from massive labor shortages caused by the variant.
Railroad Merger Would Add Service Between Detroit and Toronto
An agreement between two rail companies would create a connection between Michigan and Ontario, improve passenger rail service in the Midwest, and add new lines in Louisiana and Texas.
Mixed-Income 'Eco-Village' Planned in Michigan
A net-zero emissions development near Ann Arbor hopes to provide a model for sustainable communities.
New York City Mayor Goes Out With a (Covid Policy) Splash
Mayor Bill de Blasio's second term ends on New Year's Eve. On Dec. 6, he announced the nation's strictest COVID mandate: All workers in New York City must be at least partially vaccinated by Dec. 27. Did he consult with his successor, Eric Adams?
Austria to Mandate COVID-19 Vaccination
Life for the unvaccinated in many European countries is becoming more difficult as infections surge. Austria will take the ultimate step in February and require residents to become inoculated unless medically exempt. A lockdown begins Monday.
Driver Shortages and Service Reductions: The Crisis in Public Transit Continues
While transit systems around the country had reason to celebrate the new funding made available in the federal infrastructure bill, long-term concerns about operational capacity have not been resolved.
Mixed-Use Co-Op Demonstrates a New Ownership Model
Owned by its tenants and local community members, Traverse City's Commongrounds Cooperative will feature a craft distillery, a food hall, and a childcare facility, among other amenities.
Five Midwest States to Develop EV Charging Network
The governors hope the agreement will create jobs, reduce emissions, and encourage more widespread adoption of electric vehicles in their states.
Alaska Activates Crisis Standards of Care
Daily new COVID cases per capita in Alaska are the nation's highest. The crisis standards enable overwhelmed hospitals to ration care. Gov. Mike Dunleavy recognized the crisis yet saw no need to take steps to reduce coronavirus transmission.
Flooding in the Midwest Shows There's No Refuge From Climate Change
While projections say areas of the U.S. Midwest around the Great Lakes will become more hospitable as the climate changes, stormwater and flooding is still a challenge in a surprising number of locations.
A Natural Approach to Stormwater Proposed in Michigan
The realities of climate change have been on full display in Michigan this summer, and a crusading drain commissioner is pushing for stormwater infrastructure that uses natural features to capture and reuse water during extreme weather.
Detroit Residents Find it Hard to Access Land Bank Properties
Longtime residents say the city is not fulfilling its goal of keeping vacant parcels in the hands of locals as property values rise steeply.
Detroit Floods as the Pacific Northwest Bakes: It's Time to Shift the Conversation About Climate Change
The record-breaking heatwave in the Pacific Northwest has mostly been depicted in the media by kids running through fountains, but images of flooded highways and stranded vehicles in Detroit tell a more accurate story of climate change.
Opinion: Detroit Area Stunted by Lack of Regional Transit
Improved connectivity and reliability in the region's public transit could stimulate growth and help build a more vibrant local economy.
Detroit-Area I-275 Project Set to Start Work in July
MDOT will begin to repair and modernize a 24-mile segment of Interstate 275 this summer.
Choice Neighborhood Planning Grants Announced for 5 U.S. Cities
A federal grant program designed to support holistic and socially-focused planning projects at the neighborhood level has announced the winners of its most recent round of competitive grant funding.
Reopening New York, New Jersey and Connecticut: Is May 19 Too Soon?
Coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths are dropping in the U.S. Govs. Andrew Cuomo, Phil Murphy, and Ned Lamont jointly announced on May 3 that their states would lift most restrictions on May 19. Experts and residents have mixed reactions.
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
