The future of planning in the second Trump administration, housing policy, and highway removal — here are Planetizen’s most popular headlines from November 2024.
Last month’s presidential election, unsurprisingly, loomed large over much of the news cycle as advocates, policymakers, and experts scrambled to make sense of the results and their potential impact on U.S. housing policy, transportation and infrastructure investments, public lands, energy policy, and every other aspect of American government. Here at Planetizen, readers clicked on some positive stories about high-speed rail, affordable housing, and conservation, as well as some analytical pieces that look to the future — sometimes via understanding the past — of housing, electric vehicles, transit, and the planning profession at large.
The full list of November’s most-read stories:
1. Central Florida’s SunRail Plans Major Expansion
The Orlando-area rail system, which launched in 2014 and has driven transit-oriented development (TOD) in the region, could eventually serve up to 6 million riders.
2. Las Vegas Golf Course to Become Over 1,000 Units of Affordable Housing
The Desert Pines project, which will create over 1,000 housing units and community spaces, is funded by a loan from Nevada’s State Infrastructure Bank.
3. Biden Administration Moves to Protect Alaskan Refuge From Drilling
The federal government is taking steps to limit future fossil fuel extraction in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in the last months of the Biden administration.
4. Progressive Planning in Ideologically Conservative Communities
Todd Litman explains how planners can reconcile sometimes conflicting goals to promote progressive policies.
5. Denver's New High-Rise Integrates Vertical Canyon in Architectural Design
A new high-rise uses dramatic architecture to bring nature to urban Denver.
6. How Did We Get Here? Housing Policy and Planners’ Role in Shaping Regional Growth and Prosperity
Jennifer Raitt investigates the decades of policy decisions that have influenced U.S. housing policy and its role in shaping economic development and equity.
7. The Future of Electric Vehicles Under Trump
The President-elect has vowed to end the federal electric vehicle tax credit — and Tesla could be the only EV producer to benefit. Will Republican lawmakers whose districts receive benefits go along?
8. The News Is Not All Bad
Planetizen blogger Michael Lewyn looks on the bright side.
9. Bridging Divides: The Crucial Role of Collaboration in Highway Removal
Taking on a massive freeway removal project with the community in mind.
10. Tesla Is California’s Second-Biggest Air Polluter
The ostensibly eco-friendly electric carmaker has received hundreds of air quality violations in California — second only to Chevron.
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Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
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Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
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Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Greening Oakland’s School Grounds
With help from community partners like the Trust for Public Land, Oakland Unified School District is turning barren, asphalt-covered schoolyards into vibrant, green spaces that support outdoor learning, play, and student well-being.
California Governor Suspends CEQA Reviews for Utilities in Fire Areas
Utility restoration efforts in areas affected by the January wildfires in Los Angeles will be exempt from environmental regulations to speed up the rebuilding of essential infrastructure.
Native American Communities Prepare to Lead on Environmental Stewardship
In the face of federal threats to public lands and conservation efforts, indigenous groups continue to model nature-centered conservation efforts.
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