Was 2021 the year that U.S. planners finally lost faith in minimum parking requirements? It certainly seems so. With remarkable speed, governments across America are adopting three reforms recommended by UCLA Distinguished Research Professor and internationally recognized parking expert Donald Shoup: Remove off-street parking requirements. Developers and businesses can then decide how many parking spaces to provide for their customers. Charge the right prices for on-street pa

A new report from the League of American Bicyclists traces how long-term planning and infrastructure investments allowed some cities to grow their share of bicycle commuters. In 2019, just 0.5% of U.S. commuters rode a bike to work, the smallest share of any mode. But tiny shifts can make a big difference. Data-driven bike plans, safety improvements and supportive political leadership helped boost bike commute rates in several cities in recent years, according to a new report

Over the last century, cars have been the dominant element when designing cities and towns. Driving lanes, lane expansions, parking garages, and surface lots have been utilized as we continue our heavy reliance on cars, leaving urban planners to devise creative ways to make city streets safe for pedestrians and cyclists alike. But many cities, especially a handful in Europe, have become blueprints for forward-thinking ideologies on how to design new spaces to become car-free

On Wednesday, Wired published a 1,800-word article devoted to solving the “critical” dilemma of how to keep electric vehicle fleets charged in dense urban areas. Authors Aarian Marshall and Matt Simon consider a range of strategies to extend the, well, range of the average EV, including classifying EV charging as “a taxpayer-funded public good” that would lead to installing charging stations on public utility poles, convincing apartment developers and managers to install them

Rob Henry, President & CEO of the 82 Alliance and Executive Director for GVF, spoke at The National Academies of Science "How We Move Matters" webinar. Rob spoke during session III. Assessing Solutions: Policy’s Impact on Our Mobility and Environmental Health. This session highlighted important insights at the nexus of where transportation policies, environmental health policies, and actual consumer behavior meet. Discussions attempted to find the sweet spot between policy, e

No question—trails, greenways, bike paths, nature walkways and similar infrastructure projects offer a good return on investment, says Chris Rhie, urban planner and associate principal at Buro Happold, Los Angeles. The firm is a multidisciplinary engineering consultancy, and a global practice of consulting engineers and advisers that offers its clients expertise in structural engineering, sustainability, lighting design, mobility and other areas. “Yes, absolutely these projec

On an average day, the typical car owner doesn’t give much thought to parking, beyond whether they will luck out and find a spot to park when they reach their destination. We’ve had this luxury — even if it feels like a pain — because for nearly a century, our cities have been oriented around the automobile. In many American cities, up to 98 percent of people own a car. We allocate space for parking, because otherwise how would we go about our lives? It makes sense. Or does i

By the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia New funding has been awarded for the Circuit Trails and local trail projects in the Greater Philadelphia area. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) has announced its Community Conservation Partnerships Program grants for projects funded with a variety of state and federal funding sources: Chester Notable project for Chester is funding for their Countywide Trail Plan. Congratulations to the Ch