When Commuter Rail Has the Potential to Be Something More
American commuter rail lines tend not to draw many riders. That's what happens when service is limited and the line is set up to shuttle suburban park-and-ride commuters to an urban center in the morning and back home in the evening.
October 4, 2016
LA County Bike Coalition’s Tamika Butler on Planning While Black
Too often, says Tamika Butler, the people responsible for planning cities don't look like the people who live in cities. In her keynote address from this week's NACTO Designing Cities conference, she considers some of the ramifications.
October 3, 2016
It’s Not Good Transit If the Streets Nearby Aren’t Good for Walking
All transit stops aren't created equal. The street environment around the station -- especially safe, convenient pedestrian access -- has a major influence on how people use transit.
September 30, 2016
Adieu, Cars: Paris Riverfront to Be Permanently Returned to the People
After years of experimentation, the Paris City Council this week committed to the permanent conversion of two miles of the Georges Pompidou expressway along the River Seine into a waterfront park.
September 29, 2016
Why Are American Traffic Fatalities Rising So Quickly?
Summer is barely over but this much is already clear: Traffic safety on American streets is taking a big step backward in 2016.
September 28, 2016
City Streets in State Officials’ Hands Can Be a Recipe for Disaster
Cities shouldn't have to fight with state departments of transportation to ensure streets are safe for their residents. But too often that's exactly the case, and when cities lose, the result can be deadly.
September 27, 2016
White House: Make Cities Affordable By Building for Walkability, Not Parking
The Obama administration is taking on the crisis of rising rents in American cities, releasing a series of recommendations today to spur the construction of more affordable housing. Among the many ideas the White House endorses: allowing more multi-family housing near transit and getting rid of parking minimums.
September 27, 2016
More Evidence That Speed Cameras Work
The evidence is clear: Speed cameras save lives.
September 26, 2016
Why a Struggling Industrial City Decided Bikes Are the Way Forward
Reading, Pennsylvania, isn't your stereotypical biking mecca. It's a low-income, largely Latino, post-industrial city of almost 90,000 people.
September 26, 2016
Restrictive Housing Policies in a Few Cities Hurt the Whole U.S. Economy
It's no secret that major coastal cities are dealing with a housing shortage that's causing runaway rents. What's less well understood, however, is how low-density zoning not only limits the supply of housing but affects the U.S. economy more broadly.
September 23, 2016