The 'lamestream media' picks up the story of Tea Party activists railing against efforts to control sprawl and conserve energy.
In The New York Times, Leslie Kaufman and Kate Zernike report on efforts by activists associated with the Tea Party movement to block smart growth and green policies in states, cities, and town across the country. The activists see a grand conspiracy organized by the United Nations to 'deny property rights and herd citizens toward cities.'
And it's not just fringe elements that buy into the conspiracy. In January, the Republican National Committee passed a resolution proclaiming that, "The United Nations Agenda 21 plan of radical so-called ‘sustainable development' views the American way of life of private property ownership, single family homes, private car ownership and individual travel choices, and privately owned farms; all as destructive to the environment."
"'It sounds a little on the weird side, but we've found we ignore it at our own peril,' said George Homewood, a vice president of the American Planning Association's chapter in Virginia."
FULL STORY: Activists Fight Green Projects, Seeing U.N. Plot
Why Tea Party Criticism Should Matter to Planners
Andrew H. Whittemore contends that planners dismiss the far-fetched theories of a grand United Nations sustainability conspiracy at their own peril.
How Agenda 21 Trumps Planning
Agenda 21, a nonbinding United Nations resolution signed in 1992 by 170 world leaders, was developed to encourage "sustainable development." Now it’s a political talking point that kills planning efforts all over the country.
Advice on Responding To Tea Party Members Critical of Smart Growth
The year 2011 may be remembered by some as the year planners began fielding objections about smart growth from Tea Party supporters. Nathan Norris offers his four-step process for responding.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
SoCal Leaders Debate Moving Coastal Rail Line
Train tracks running along the Pacific Ocean are in danger from sea level rise, but residents are divided on how to fix the problem.
Are Mobility Hubs Child-Friendly?
‘Mobility hubs’ aim to make urban travel easier by connecting travel modes. Adding more services could make them more accessible and useful to women and families.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research