Pennsylvania

Pedestrian Shaming Is the Wrong Way to Vision Zero
It seems like pedestrian safety campaigns that focus on the errors and guilt of pedestrians miss the point. Shaming pedestrians will not keep them safe, but safer streets will.

Pittsburgh's Lessons for Los Angeles and Beyond: Reinvest in Planning
The rules are changing, Tom Murphy says, and cities need to change, too.

Billboards Having a Moment in Philadelphia
A proposal to add billboard advertisements to a pair of city-owned buildings come at a time when residents, and the federal government, are already concerned about the proliferation of billboards in the city.
Millvale Ecodistrict Pivot Plan Selected for Pennsylvania Planning Excellence Award
The product of a four-year community effort, Millvale's Ecodistrict Plan integrates placemaking and sustainability priorities for a town striving to make its Ecodistrict status part of its identity and culture, not just its infrastructure.
Pittsburgh to Oakland BRT Connection Taking Shape
Details are emerging about the how and where of a proposed a bus rapid transit (BRT) connection between Downtown Pittsburgh and Oakland.

Pittsburgh Devotes New Department to Transportation Planning
The Department of Mobility and Infrastructure will be up and running by 2017.

Pittsburgh Launches New Permit and Code Tracking Website
The city of Pittsburgh launched a Buildingeye website to provide new access to the development and approval process in the city.
Philadelphia Renaissance Threatens Working Diamond District
Heretofore preservationists in the City of Brotherly Love have been focused on finding new uses for vacant, historic buildings, but the city's economic resurgence now threatens five, occupied low-rise buildings city's in vibrant Jewelers Row.

Pittsburgh Mayor Pitches a New 'P4' Standard for Development Proposals
The city of Pittsburgh could adopt a new set of standards for measuring development projects to focus on people, planet, place, and performance.

The Blight-Busting Tactic That Pays Huge Dividends for Real Estate Values
Neighborhoods achieve significantly more improvements by rehabilitating vacant rowhouses than by introducing new construction.

Philadelphia Awarded a Big Chunk of State Redevelopment Grants
About a fifth of a recent round of Pennsylvania's Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) awards went to projects in Philadelphia, including the Reading Viaduct rail park project.

Against Parking Requirements and Driveways in Philadelphia
Recent suggestions from Philadelphia's City Council threaten the city's rebound and could turn swaths of Philadelphia into suburbia, argues Inga Saffron in a recent opinion piece.

SEPTA Trains Running on Schedule for the First Time in Two Months
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority returned to a normal commute schedule today, after making sufficient repairs to new trains that didn't start on the right track.

Pittsburgh Planning Two Big New Bike Lane Projects
A city already known for its livability is ready to add new bike lanes in high profile locations.

The Huge Cost of Improving Amtrak's Pennsylvanian Even a Little
This is Amtrak between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia: It could cost $13 billion to speed up the tip by 30 minutes, and $16 million to add just one more train.
State Audit Echoes Concerns About Pennsylvania Turnpike Finances
There's a tug of war underway in Pennsylvania over $450 million a year in funding for public transit generated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

The Jersey Shore—Or Philadelphia East
People who own property on the Jersey Shore tend to have a lot in common when it comes to geography, income, and religion.
Air Pollution from Natural Gas Industry in Pennsylvania on the Rise
With a 32 percent increase in natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania, it is no surprise that emissions are increasing as well, particularly sulfur dioxide. However, the increase was dwarfed by decreases from the power sector.

Rust Belt Revival: Pittsburgh's New Economy
When Uber announced this month that it would test-run its fleet of self-driving cars in the Steel City, many probably asked, "why Pittsburgh?" Unlike other post-industrial places, it's been incubating a 21st-century economy.

The Heritage Trail, a 60-Mile Dream, Becoming a Reality on the Delaware River
The Heritage Trail would loop around either side of the Delaware River, from Trenton, New Jersey, down to Philadelphia and back, exploring historic sites and a variety of neighborhoods and parks all along the way.
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