Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

Trump supporting insurrectionists scale the walls of the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021.

Year in Review: Urban Planning in 2021

Part one of two of Planetizen's review of 2021—re-assessing failed predictions and daylighting the biggest planning stories of the year.

December 20, 2021 - James Brasuell

Washington State Electric Car Infrastructure

Biden Administration Plans for 500,000 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

The Biden administration this week took ambitious steps toward a new era of automobile transportation in the United States.

December 15, 2021 - E&E News

Pedestrians

Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Will Finally Make Carmakers Consider Pedestrian Safety

Pedestrian safety ratings for cars, drunk driving detection tech, and better headlights—these are just a handful of the automobile safety improvements that will benefit pedestrians as a result of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

December 15, 2021 - Angie Schmitt

Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station

Bill Gates' Nuclear Power Company Takes Giant Step in Cowboy State

A Wyoming coal power plant will be transformed by a company backed by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to run on nuclear power. With the signing of the bipartisan infrastructure act, $1.5 billion will help produce zero-emission power by 2028

November 24, 2021 - CNBC

An image of President Joe Biden at a meeting in the White House while wearing a mask in February 2021.

More Details of the $1.2 Trillion Federal Infrastructure Bill

There's plenty of room for analysis and discussion in a $1.2 trillion bill, so Planetizen's coverage of the historic bill continues.

November 21, 2021 - James Brasuell

Wide shot of bridge overpasses under construction at the intersection of GA 400 and I-285 on July 22, 2019 in Atlanta, GA.

Key Details of the $1.2 Trillion Federal Infrastructure Bill

With President Joe Biden scheduled to sign the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act today in Washington, D.C., Planetizen shares insight into the fine print of the historic bill.

November 15, 2021 - James Brasuell

Florida Pedestrians

Infrastructure Bill Takes Small Steps Toward Pedestrian Safety

While road funding still dominates the newly passed infrastructure bill, pedestrian advocates praise the bill's modest investment in active transportation and road safety.

November 15, 2021 - Streetsblog USA

A black and white photo of U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Robert Moses, Robert Caro Back in the News, Along With a Debate About Systemic Racism

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg set off a social media frenzy by referencing an anecdote from "The Power Broker." While some didn't understand the reference, others repeated long-standing questions about the source.

November 10, 2021 - The Washington Post

A close up image of the exterior of the U.S. Capitol Rotunda illuminated at dusk.

Historic 'Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act' Passes Final Hurdle in Congress, Heads to Biden for Signature

Months after the Senate voted to approve the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in a historic moment of bipartisan legislation, the House of Representatives put the finishing touches on a $1.2 trillion bill with $550 million in new spending.

November 8, 2021 - James Brasuell

Capitol Hill

Budget Negotiations Force Retreat of Biden's Housing Ambitions

The Build Back Better agenda is in retreat—including much of the substance on a plan to spend $330 billion to tackle the nation's housing affordability crisis.

November 1, 2021 - Vox

A "Road Work Ahead" lies neglected on the ground next to a street in Boise, Idaho.

State Law Preempts Federal Transit Relief Funding in Idaho

Idaho state law prevents local voters from implementing the sales taxes that generate revenue to match federal funding for transportation projects, taking local and regional projects out of the running for many federal grant programs.

October 5, 2021 - Magic Valley

Seattle, Washington

A State-by-State Wish List for Federal Infrastructure Funding

States have a laundry list of major projects they'd like to see funded if the trillion-dollar infrastructure package passes.

September 29, 2021 - New York Times

Clean Energy

Saved by the $3.5 Billion U.S. Budget Package: a Gigaton of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

As the details of the $3.5 trillion budget package under development in the U.S. House of Representatives begin to emerge, so to do the potential climate change benefits.

September 21, 2021 - Rhodium Group

U.S. Capital

Infrastructure Financing Advances in House as $3.5 Billion Spending Package Takes Shape

A whole bunch of money is on the table in Congress.

September 16, 2021 - The Hill

Pennsylvania

Opinion: Philly's Regional Transit Needs More Funding

The region's planning commission is pouring billions into highway widening projects while neglecting its public transit needs.

September 2, 2021 - WHYY

TECO Line Streetcar System

These Tampa Projects Could Benefit From the Federal Infrastructure Bill

The city's aging streetcar line and historic Cass Street Bridge are among projects that could receive federal funding if Congress passes the current infrastructure package.

August 31, 2021 - Fox 13

Houston Metro

Can Houston Rein In Its Famous Sprawl?

The city's unabated growth has made it a bustling hub of industry and commerce, but can it sustain its unmitigated outward sprawl?

August 31, 2021 - Houston Chronicle

San Francisco Muni

Where Did the Federal Transit Funding Go?

The final infrastructure deal cutting by more than half the transit funding proposed in the American Jobs Plan.

August 31, 2021 - Eno Transportation Weekly

An image of Washington D.C. with highways and the streaks from car head and tail lights in the foreground, and the Washington Monument in the background.

The History of Federal Infrastructure Funding: As Determined by the Founding Fathers

The ability of the federal government to fund, and define, infrastructure, owes itself to a history of state and federal leadership at the dawn of the nation's existence.

August 31, 2021 - The Washington Post

Water rushes over a spillway at a large concrete dam.

Congressional Bills Could Hit Refresh on U.S. Dams

The 21st Century Dams Act, a proposal to remove four dams on the lower Snake River, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act all have a chance to redefine the country's approach to dams and watersheds.

August 25, 2021 - American Rivers

Top Books

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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.