Government / Politics
The BLM’s Conservation and Landscape Health Rule: An Explainer
Why is the agency’s effort to put conservation on an equal footing with other uses so controversial?
San Francisco Right to Counsel Program Prevents Hundreds of Evictions
A city program that gives at-risk tenants the right to a lawyer helped over 90 percent of participants avoid eviction.
State Lawmakers Join Fight Against Wall Street Landlords
Pushback against hedge funds buying and renting out single-family houses grows as elected officials in a handful of state legislatures seek to curb the trend amid the housing affordability crisis.
A Win for Single-Family Zoning in California
Five Southern California charter cities need not worry about lot splitting in their single-family zoned neighborhoods thanks to a Los Angeles County superior court ruling on April 22. Depending on a forthcoming ruling, 120 cities may join them.
Second Massachusetts Town Spurns State TOD Zoning Mandate
Marshfield residents voted down a rezoning plan that would have met state requirements for the town to allow development of multifamily housing near MBTA stations.
Colorado Bill Would Tie Transportation Funding to TOD
The proposed law would require cities to meet certain housing targets near transit or risk losing access to a key state highway fund.
Alaska Village Becomes Test Case for Climate Change Relocation
The Yup’ik village of Newtok is the first Alaska community to begin a full-scale relocation necessitated by the impacts of climate change. Another 31 Alaska communities remain vulnerable.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
Opinion: Criminalizing Homelessness Is ‘Expensive and Shortsighted’
Policies that punish and fine unhoused people for sheltering outdoors, even when other shelter is not available, are the most visible but least efficient ways to reduce homelessness.
Appeals Court: California Emissions Standards Upheld
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board, the nation's two most powerful environmental regulatory agencies, won an important round in federal court last week. But the emissions standards battle may not be over.
Anchorage High-Speed Highway Project Met With Skepticism
The Alaska Department of Transportation and its consultants are working on a Planning and Environmental Linkages study of the Glenn-Seward Highway that bisects the middle of Anchorage, Alaska.
‘Cut the Tape’ Report Takes Aim at Inefficiencies
A set of recommendations from the Chicago mayor’s office calls for streamlining city processes to stimulate more residential and commercial development.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
How to Stop the ‘Growth Ponzi Scheme’
Even cities with wealthy tax bases and strong economies face budget shortfalls when it comes to basic needs. Why?
Using AI to Analyze Public Comments
A new tool is designed to help local governments organize and understand large volume of community input on projects.
Feds Cap Rent Raises on Subsidized Housing
Owners of affordable housing developments that take advantage of federal tax incentives will be barred from raising rents more than 10 percent per year.
Boston Gets a New Planning Department
After 67 years since its formation, the Boston Planning and Development Agency is no more.
How Persuasive Are Arguments Against Statewide Zoning Reform?
A leading scholar of state and local government argues that local governments’ need to regulate business should take priority over the state and national interests in lowering housing costs. Are his assumptions persuasive?
Undoing Biden's EV Rule
The partisan divide over how government should reduce greenhouse gas emissions was on full display after the Biden administration finalized its emissions standards rule for light and medium duty vehicles on March 20.
Florida Passes Outdoor Sleeping Ban
Florida is the latest state to pass legislation barring unhoused people from sleeping or camping on public property.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland
