New York

The Hidden Costs of Free Parking for Teachers
Bill de Blasio's decision to hand out more than 10,000 parking placards to school employees incentivizes driving and costs the city money.

Activating Artists as an Urban Resource
Planning and art don't traditionally mix, but that's changing. Embedded at NYC's Department of Design and Construction, artist Mary Miss envisions public art as an infrastructural aid.

Comparing the Differences in Property Taxes Around the United States
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Minnesota Center for Fiscal Excellence have released their annual "50-State Property Tax Comparison Study."

NYC's Rental Market Returns to the Single Room Occupancy Model of a Century Ago
A New York Times feature details the re-emergence of the single room occupancy (SRO) unit in the New York rental market. Despite a stigma and an old-fashioned quality, the SRO is becoming a badly needed housing solution.

Northeast is Next Market for Fuel Cell Vehicles
The only state where fuel cell electric vehicles can be leased is California where 30 hydrogen refueling stations exist now, with 100 planned to be in operation by 2020. Almost no public refueling stations exist elsewhere, but that's about to change.

'Plansplaining' and its Discontents
Yes, planners have expertise to share, but according to this rather pointed critique, they also sometimes forget that other people do too.
George Washington Bridge Bus Station Reopens After Delayed Renovation
The George Washington Bridge Bus Station should have reopened at the end of 2016, but now that it is, a lot of weary commuters have received a huge quality of life improvement.
A Deadly Crash Is an Accident Because it Isn't Terrorism
Cable news networks interrupted broadcasts on Thursday morning with breaking news: a vehicle had just driven three block on the sidewalks in Times Square, New York, resulting in massive casualties. Anchors asked, "Was it terrorism or an accident?"
Four Miles of Protected Bike Lane Proposed After Queens Bike Fatality
A two-way bike lane protected by a concrete barrier could be on the way for Northern Boulevard in Queens as a way to increase bike safety around the Joe Michaels Mile bike path.

New York MTA Proposes 6-Point Plan to Reduce Subway Headaches
The new plan to reduce delays on New York's subway system will rely on short-term fixes, rather than long-term modernization projects.

Friday Eye Candy: A Mobile App That Provides a Historic Window Into New York
The Urban Archive app will be popular with anyone interested in the history of New York City. Hopefully the idea spreads to other cities soon.

Big, Expensive Idea: Bury Six Miles of Expressway Under Brooklyn
The Gowanus Expressway is a big polluter and a traffic nightmare. Some see putting the road underground as a solution.

Maryland Positions Itself as Nation's Leader in Offshore Wind Power
In a few years, Maryland is expected to be the nation's leader in offshore renewable wind power made possible by the Public Service Commission's approval on May 11 of credits to two projects by U.S. Wind and Skipjack Offshore Energy.
Op-Ed: The High Cost of Free Electric Vehicle Parking
Two New York city councilmembers are hoping to entice more residents to buy electric cars by offering free parking for the electric vehicles on Saturdays. Not so fast, says an op-ed for Streetsblog USA.

Friday Funny: New Transit Mode: White House Briefing Room Podium
TIL that there are no podium helmet laws in New York City.

'Bikelife' Brings BMX Style to a New Generation
The Wall Street Journal introduces "Bikelife" to the masses, showcasing an another side to bike culture.

Federal Reserve Banks Look for Small Town Lessons in Growth
What do Rochester, Cedar Rapids, Grand Rapids, and Chattanooga have to do with each other? According to Federal Reserve Banks, they are all examples of cities doing growth right.

'Citizen Jane' Sets the Battle Lines for the Future of Cities
Coinciding with the 101st anniversary of Jane Jacobs's birth, a documentary film showing in select theaters around the country recounts the history between Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses, and the ideas that forced their struggle.

Is this Any Way to Run a Subway?
In New York's subway, stations are not the only historic parts of the 113-year-old system. Essential communications infrastructure responsible for keeping the trains running belongs in a museum, explaining the cause of many recent delays.

Cuomo Has a Unique Opportunity with Penn Station
The disastrous state of the country's most busy transit station presents an opportunity to make big improvements.
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