New York

New York Could Ensure Benefits for Taxi, Uber Drivers
The New York City Council will consider legislation that would address a lack of employment benefits for 'gig economy' workers.

On Deck for de Blasio-Style Rezoning: Jerome Avenue in the Bronx
The de Blasio Administration's next big rezoning push will occur in the southwest Bronx.

Questioning the de Blasio Administration's Commitment to Vision Zero
Results showing progress in the fight to end traffic fatalities have disappeared, just like some of the safety projects installed under the banner of Vision Zero.

The Market Rate of a Shorter Commute
Analysis by FiveThirtyEight offers a lesson in trade-offs. In this case: how much more New Yorkers are willing to pay for less time spent commuting.

A Trip to NYC's Spectacular New Governors Island
Governors Island in NYC recently reopened after a massive remake into a park that can only be reached by ferry. The park is reviewed by former Empire State Development Corp. VP Carol Berens.

Brooklyn Housing Supply Begins to Match Demand
About 6,500 apartments in 19 towers within 10 square blocks on Flatbush Avenue are expected to be available within two years, but don't expect rents to plunge. Renters should look for perks like one or more months of free rent.

How Big Data Could Transform the Social Sciences
The Kavli HUMAN Project will collect data at an unprecedented scale—from the lives of 10,000 New Yorkers.

Toronto Commuters Like Their Open Gangway Subway Trains
The New York Times transit reporter, Emma G. Fitzsimmons, reports from Toronto to see what riders think about their 'open gangway' subway cars. By 2020, New York will receive 750 of these cars that have no doors separating the cars.
Amtrak Receives $2.45 Billion Federally Secured Loan for New Acela Trains
Amtrak will replace, rather than overhaul, aging Acela trains with new, 186-mph trains from French manufacturer, Alstom, though they won't exceed 160 mph. The agreement was announced Friday by VP Joe Biden at Biden Station, Wilmington, Del.

Planning for Resilience on Coney Island Creek
A case study in New York's response to the Hurricane Sandy flooding in the neighborhoods of Coney Island and Gravesend.

Jamaica Bay: Wilderness in the City
Created so people could "experience nature in the midst of crowds," New York's Jamaica Bay National Wildlife Refuge embodies the characteristics of all modern national parks: abundant, welcoming, and threatened.

Friday Funny: Souvenir Photos of Your New York City Bus Ride
A satirical post by ClickHole imagines a world where bus trips are treated like a trip to Disneyland.

New York Ready to Focus Revitalization Efforts in Far Rockaway
A Politico article describes the Far Rockaway neighborhood as still reeling from the effects of Superstorm Sandy and a history of underinvestment. The city is ready to launch a $91 million redevelopment effort to change all that.

Op-Ed: Stay Expensive, New York—It Helps the Rest of the U.S.
Here's a controversial assertion: expensive, desirable cities are doing everyone else a favor by forcing people to move.

Looking to Add More Trees? Mind the 'Sidewalk Gray Zone'
A case study provided by the MillionTreesNYC program offers insight into complicated territorial boundaries that can challenge urban greening projects.

JFK AirTrain Surprise: Reduced Frequencies
Some inquisitive and interested observers noticed surprising changes to the schedule of the AirTrain, connecting Queens to JFK International Airport.

Poor Urban Planning and the Birth of Hip Hop
An architect known as the Hip-Hop Architect explains how the planning decisions of the 20th century served as muse and breeding ground for the multi-million-dollar industry of hip hop.

Change Coming to the Way New York City Collects its Trash
The de Blasio Administration has recommended that the city of New York is ready to collect its trash in a new way, with a system known as franchising.
Gentrification Concerns Sink Inclusionary Housing Development Proposal in Manhattan
Several publications were reporting the expected defeat of a proposed development project in Manhattan this week. The 15-story project was the first private application of the city's new Mandatory Inclusionary Housing policy.
Lessons From Manhattan's First 'Shared Streets' Event
New York City has several famous examples of pedestrian-only environments, but last weekend's Shared Streets event was an experiment in co-existence.
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