New York
Aerial Tram Proposed to Connect Staten Island and Manhattan
A proposal to build a $175 million tram across the New York Harbor has the support of the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation and a mayor who is willing to listen.
Friday Funny: Is the Design for 2 WTC Too King Kong-Friendly?
Henry Melcher reports on a humorous response to the new renderings revealed for the future 2 WTC tower (also the future home of 21st Century Fox and News Corp), designed by Bjarke Ingels Group.
Bikelash is Back: Citi Bike Expansion Upsets Upper West Side Residents
The more things change, the more things stay the same. The latest installment of New Yorkers afraid of bike infrastructure has erupted in response to a proposed expansion of Citi Bike into the Upper West Side.
High Bridge Opens to Pedestrians and Cyclists for the First Time Since 1970
Culminating an effort launched in 2007 by the Bloomberg Administration, the public will now be able to walk between the Bronx and Manhattan on the High Bridge.
Insurance Regulations Threaten Buffalo's Affordable Car Share Program
The $200,000 non-profit Buffalo CarShare program offer people living in poverty a low-cost option for short-term rentals of cars. Despite state support for the program, state insurance regulations might end it.

Revealed: Designs for Final World Trade Center Tower
2 WTC was designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and already has a tentative lease agreement with Rupert Murdoch’s media companies, 21st Century Fox and News Corp.

Why New York Barely Taxes Its Billionaires
If taxed at an average rate, the buyer of One57's $100.5 million penthouse should have paid $1.3 million in property taxes. Instead, the property was assessed at $17,000. Here's why.
Land Bank Achieves Initial Success in Erie County, New York
The former steel town of Lackawanna, in Erie County, New York, is the latest beneficiary of the growing reach of land banks.
Doubts Raised About OneNYC's Energy Efficiency Goals
Following the April announcement of Mayor de Blasio's OneNYC plan (an update to the Bloomberg Administration's PlaNYC), critics are poking holes in the energy efficiency goals included in the new plan.
High-Rise Approval Secures $220 Million for Grand Central Terminal Improvements
In exchange for the approval to build One Vanderbilt, a 63-story office tower adjacent to Grand Central Terminal, the developer will give the MTA $220 million for upgrades to entrances of the Metro-North Railroad and the terminal's subway entrances.
Stunning Views of New York Offered from North America's Tallest Observatory
One World Trade Center's long-awaited observatory opened May 29. Located on floors 100, 101 and 102 of the tower, the 47-second elevator trip is as remarkable as the sites from the 1,250 foot high observatory.

'High-Rent Blight' on the Rise in Manhattan Retail Districts
Why are so many shops closing in New York's richest and best-known neighborhoods?
Pop Quiz: What State Has Highest Percentage of Deficient Bridges?
Hint: It's also the smallest by area. And the next two on the "first is worst" list are in the Northeast as well. According to 2014 FHWA data, over 50 percent of this state's bridges are considered deficient, either structurally or functionally.

75 Cities Ranked by ParkScore 2015
The Trust for Public Land released its 2015 ParkScore today, ranking the 75 largest U.S. cities on the metrics of acreage, facilities and investment, and access.
An Aggressive Pitch to Bail out New York City's Public Housing
Mayor Bill De Blasio released an aggressive and likely contentious plan to fund the New York Housing Authority, which is currently sitting on $16 billion in needed maintenance work.
Montreal Debates Tolls or Mileage Charges to Finance Bridge Construction
A powerful realty group fears tolls will 'marginalize' downtown Montreal, so they propose a regional kilometer-traveled-fee to finance the new Champlain Bridge.
City Parks: The New Playgrounds of the Rich?
Wealthy private donors take the lead in developing New York City projects, such as parks, writes Carol Berens, an architect, author, and real estate agent.
Debate: YIMBY vs. Preservation in New York City
New York magazine recently convened a debate between two leading voices of an ongoing conversation in New York City: what to build and what to preserve.

Should You Rent or Should You Buy? Trulia Maps the Question
Real estate website Trulia has released its most recent Rent vs Buy report, breaking down the value proposition of buying a home relative to renting one for cities around the country.
What Makes Left Turns So Dangerous?
After breaking down the reasons why left turns are so dangerous, it's also obvious how difficult a problem they are to solve.
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