New York
Upheaval at New York State Thruway Authority
The New York State authority with responsibility for the Thruway system, including the Tappan Zee Bridge as the most famous of its 809 bridges, is weathering leadership changes and a dismal budget shortfall.
Sunshine State Overtakes Empire State as Third Most Populous State
William H. Frey, Brookings Institution demographer, writes on the latest Census Bureau demographic data. California and Texas remain number one and two respectively. New York had 19.7 million residents on July 1, 2014, Florida 19.9 million people.
New York MTA Buses to Alert Pedestrians When Turning
Following the lead of programs in Los Angeles, Portland, and Baltimore, a pilot program by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority will install warning systems to alert pedestrians to turning buses.
The Story of New York's First Commuter
Sam Roberts tells the story of commuting in New York City, starting from the very beginning, the maiden voyage of the first ferry from Brooklyn to Manhattan.
Port Authority Recommends Cutting PATH Service
The Port Authority released a controversial report over the weekend that recommends cutting overnight and weekend service for Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) service. So far, the governors of New York and New Jersey support the plan.
'Self-Sufficiency Standard' Reveals Distressing Levels of Poverty
Most policies regarding poverty are driven by obsolete metrics. Another model, which measures the very basic needs for survival, reveals deep poverty in New York City.
Polls: New York Fracking Ban Has Wide Support
According to a Quinnipiac University Poll, New Yorkers upstate, downstate, Democrat, and Republican, all supported Gov. Andrew Cuomo's decision to ban fracking—only energy companies and some businesses and property owners expressed dismay.
The Never-Built Legacy of New York's Tech Firms
A big picture explanation, with case studies, of why New York's newest wave of commercial businesses won't leave their mark on the city like it might have in the past.

Big Cities Make Pedestrian Safety a Priority
New data released Dec. 19 by NHTSA shows increased safety for those traveling by car, but pedestrian fatalities are 15% higher than in 2009. Plans by San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago to increase ped safety are described by the WSJ.

A New Era of Skyscrapers in New York
New York magazine examines the latest wave of skyscraper development in New York City for the possibility that they might embody the highest outcomes of form and function.
New York Bans Fracking for Good
Gov. Andrew Cuomo finally made a decision—make it permanent in 2015. Fracking foes won an important battle as the Empire State has massive natural gas reserves in the Marcellus shale play. In the end, health issues trumped economics.
Mind the Gap: Media, Researchers Identify Gentrification Differently
A new study by a sociologist at Louisiana State University examines the differences between qualitative and quantitative descriptions of gentrification. Even the New York Times, according to the study, reveals its bias.
Groundbreaking for Controversial 'Atlantic Yards' Development
The development formerly known as Atlantic Yards—now called Pacific Park—broke ground this week, finally setting in motion a massive development beset by fierce controversy in the 11 years since it was first proposed.
Audit Finds Room for Improvement on Management of Citi Bike
The office of New York Comptroller Scott Stringer has performed an audit of New York City Bike Share's contract with the New York City Department of Transportation. The audit finds poor oversight and maintenance of the Citi Bike system.

Retrofitting Suburban Downtowns for Walkability
Ian Law of Place Alliance spoke to the 2014 ASLA Annual Meeting in Denver at the end of November about what it takes to accomplish a vision for a more dense, walkable suburban downtown.
Controversial Speed Camera Program for School Zones Likely to Be Repealed
A speed camera program near school zones in Nassau County on Long Island provides a cautionary tale about the limits of surveillance and fines in curbing speeding.

Ten Provocative Ideas for Bicycling Architecture
Arch Daily presents the ten major ideas to emerge from a "design provocation" for big ideas to push trip share of bike in New York City closer to, and even beyond, the levels of Copenhagen.
Report Reveals Broken Commitment to Green Building at the World Trade Center
An investigative report by James West finds that the developers of the World Trade Center sacrificed a commitment to green building to retain a key tenant after damages wrought by Superstorm Sandy.
The Most Expensive Cities for Short-Term Rentals
A recent study measured average prices (both peak and off-peak) of 60,000 properties in 150 cities. New York City showed a surprising distinction in hotel and Airbnb rates.
Explained: How Protected Bike Lanes Improve Pedestrian Safety
An article in Treehugger explains the public safety benefits of protected bike lanes by appealing to common sense.
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