Car-Centric Planning

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Hillside home construction in the Porter Ranch neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.

Study: How California Can Shift Away From Car-Oriented Development

While the state continues to rely on driving as a primary means of transportation, fighting climate change and the worsening housing crisis means implementing policies that encourage infill development, higher density, and public transit.

April 5, 2022 - OC Register

Tidal flooding at Brickell Bay Drive and 12 Street, Downtown Miami

Miami City Commissioners Vote to Reinstate Downtown Parking Minimums

It's unclear when the law will take effect, but the Miami City Commission has approved that an ordinance that heads in the opposite direction of current planning trends and even the city's own groundbreaking zoning code.

March 31, 2022 - The Next Miami

Pedestrianized Ocean Drive, Miami Beach

Pedestrians Briefly Take Back Miami Beach's Ocean Drive

Miami Beach reopened Ocean Drive to vehicles earlier this year at the request of hotel owners. So many pedestrians showed up to the famous street on a weekend earlier this month, however, that cars were blocked once again.

March 30, 2022 - The Next Miami

A blurred image shows two cars driving on a road labeled with the word Milwaukee.

Repeat Reckless Drivers Could Lose Their Vehicles in Milwaukee

An ordinance declaring repeat reckless driving a public nuisance has been delayed by the City Attorney's Office. The novel ordinance has support from the city's police and the Milwaukee Common Council.

March 23, 2022 - Milwaukee Journal

A long exposure of Interstate 395 through downtown Washington D.C. on a busy night.

Car Commutes and Congestion Are Back in D.C.

Low transit ridership and a more dispersed daytime workforce are creating new headaches for car commuters in the D.C. area—in a story likely to be repeated all over the country as work returns to the office.

March 23, 2022 - The Washington Post

Bike Infrastructure

New York Legislature To Vote on Complete Streets Bills

A set of proposed laws would make streets safer for all road users in an effort to reduce traffic deaths.

February 24, 2022 - Auburn Citizen

El Paso

Report Criticizes El Paso Interstate Expansion Plan

An independent review of TxDOT's proposed expansion of I-10 through downtown El Paso highlights several flaws and a price tag close to $800 million.

February 18, 2022 - CBS 4 El Paso

Empty Road

What Is Car-Centric Planning?

'Car-centric planning' refers to urban planning that privileges the private automobile as a primary transportation mode, often to the exclusion of people who walk, bike, or use public transit.

February 17, 2022 - Diana Ionescu

A suburban street in England, shown directly from above, with lush, green yards and driveways with cars parked in front.

Recent Greenfield Developments Build Car Dependency in England, Report Says

The promises of politicians and developers to build more sustainably in the U.K. are going unfulfilled, according to a recent report.

February 9, 2022 - Transport for New Homes

Wisconsin State Capital

Transit Activists Call on Wisconsin Leaders To Reject Car-Centric Planning

With billions in new federal funding set to benefit state infrastructure projects, advocates for sustainable transportation call on state leaders to focus resources on public transit, pedestrian, and cycling improvements.

February 7, 2022 - Madison Commons

Highway 520

Washington Officials Want to Spend American Rescue Plan Funding on Highway Projects

Despite broader intentions, federal economic relief continues to get redirected to automobile-focused infrastructure.

February 1, 2022 - The Seattle Times

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

Large pickup trucks are parked in neat rows extending into the fuzzy background of the image.

Friday Funny? Cartoon Lampoons the Growing Size of Trucks and SUVs

The Nib takes on the latest trend in car culture: massive vehicles.

December 17, 2021 - The Nib

Parking

Condo for Cars Planned in Toronto

Car condos are coming to North America's largest cities—first New York and now Toronto.

October 31, 2021 - Toronto Star

Greenfield Multi-Family

What Is Greenfield Development?

Greenfield land has remained untouched by previous development. Some definitions of greenfield land also include agricultural land. Thus, greenfield development encroaches on the natural environment to expand the built environment.

September 16, 2021 - James Brasuell

A map showing a heat map that represents commute times in an urban area.

Getting to Work: New Commute Duration Heatmaps

The Mineta Transportation Institute's new interactive website produces heatmaps that illustrate commute duration—the number of minutes that workers spend traveling to their jobs—plus related information, for most U.S. communities.

September 16, 2021 - Mineta Transportation Institute

Congestion

What Will It Take for the U.S. to Kick the Car Habit?

Government played a big role in creating the car-centric United States that exists today. Climate change requires that government take the lead in reducing automobile dominance.

September 14, 2021 - Vox

A commemorative plaque documents the history of the Erie Canal: Opened in 1819, abandoned fall of 1917, an extra aqueduct built in 1841 to expand the canal, and a canal park built in 1932.

When Infrastructure Investments Go Wrong

The United States has a near perfect track record of building the infrastructure it thinks it needs. But the country and its various state and local governments, don't always get the vision right.

August 24, 2021 - Governing

Manhattan, New York City, New York

Environmental Assessment for Manhattan Congestion Pricing Scheduled Until December 2022

An idea approved in 2019 which spent the last two years stuck in Trump and Covid limbo, will only now begin a slow march toward final approval.

August 23, 2021 - StreetsBlog NYC

Aerial Texas Hill Country at sunset, with an aerial view of a highway interchange and Interstate 35 in Austin, Texas.

TxDOT Moving Forward With Plan to Widen I-35 in Austin

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) wants to spend $4.6 billion to expand Interstate 35 in Austin despite alternative plans proposed by local groups.

August 18, 2021 - KUT

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