Government / Politics

Trump Administration Takes Aim at Transportation Research
Researchers warn of a “chilling environment” as studies examining road safety and other topics are killed off and layoffs hit federal agencies.

Innovation in Energy: Repurposing Depleted Wells for a Sustainable Future
New Mexico's HB 361 proposes repurposing depleted oil and gas wells for energy storage and geothermal development, offering a potential solution to both electricity shortages and environmental challenges.

‘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.

Public Lands Can Help Us Tackle the Housing Crisis in the West
The U.S. owns more than 650 million acres of public lands, and it has the power to sell or lease limited parcels for affordable housing. But mass disposal of public lands, as some legislators have proposed, is not the answer.

NHTSA Cuts Could Make Roads More Dangerous
The agency is losing almost half of the team that oversees autonomous vehicle safety, among dozens of other key personnel.

Federal Funding for California High-Speed Rail Under Review
USDOT says it will evaluate the funding currently committed to the construction of California’s high-speed rail project, which has run years behind schedule and billions over its projected budget.

Trump Wants to Force Homeless People Into ‘Tent Cities.’ Can He?
The president pushed for sweeping crackdowns and the possible internment of people experiencing homelessness. To see what's coming, we should look to what states have already done.

Federal Funding Cuts Spark Concern Among Wildland Firefighters
Federal firefighting forces, already underresourced, are being slashed even as wildfires become a year-round problem.

Fremont, California Criminalizes Homelessness, “Abetting” Encampments
Non-profits worry the ordinance, which does not explicitly exempt service providers, will have a chilling effect on unhoused residents and those who offer resources.

National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.

Building Resilient Communities: Insights from the LA County Cities Summit
The Los Angeles County Cities Summit convened local leaders to share strategies for advancing sustainability, addressing climate resilience, extreme heat, and other pressing environmental challenges through policy and community-driven solutions.

Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.

NYC Congestion Pricing Under Threat — Again
President Trump is attempting to make good on a campaign promise to kill New York City’s congestion pricing program, but the mechanism for ending it remains unclear.

Donald Shoup Wasn't Just About Parking. He Was About The Economics Of Public Goods.
William Fulton provides a personal perspective on Prof. Shoup's life and work: “His mission was to help people understand the underlying economics of public goods and services. Parking was simply the vehicle, one might say, that he chose to do so.”

Language Matters: Addressing Communication Gaps in Disaster Response
A UCLA study reveals that language barriers left many Asian residents in Los Angeles County without critical wildfire evacuation and recovery information, highlighting the need for more inclusive emergency communication strategies.

Cities and Test Scores
The latest test scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress suggests that student learning has not recovered from its COVID-era decline. Is this more true for urban school districts than for the rest of the United States?

Hitting Its Stride Or Hitting A Wall? South Texas At a Watershed Moment
Can South Texas rise up without drying up?

From Grants to Growth: The Critical Role of Funding in Urban Transportation Projects
How cities are taking innovative approaches and adopting technology to develop sustainable, long-term funding sources for transportation infrastructure.

January Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month
How a tidal wave of potential changes at the federal level could throw many programs planners depend on into chaos, a roundup of last year’s zoning stories, and the continuing ripple effects of a landmark Supreme Court case.

Condos, a Key Source of Affordable Housing for Homeowners, Are in Jeopardy
Decades of increasing costs and deferred maintenance could lead to people losing their homes unless changes are made.
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