Government / Politics

Democratic Debate

Dems Debated in the Perfect Place to Talk About Cities, But Didn't Talk About Cities

An opportunity missed in Detroit.

August 6, 2019 - Detroit Free Press

SoHo Greenwich New York

Conflicting Interests and a Broken Planning System

A scathing critique of city planning, and the special interests that hold the system in thrall, in New York City.

August 6, 2019 - Gotham Gazette

Glendale, California

Repowered Southern California Natural Gas Power Plant Will Have Lots of Green

Most of the aging 350-megawatt Grayson Power Plant, operated by Glendale Water & Power, will be retired by 2021. The city's utility district has struggled with how to repower it. A compromise reached last month ensures low emissions and reliability.

August 5, 2019 - Greentech Media

Wild Horses BLM

New Bureau of Land Management Head Wants to Sell Public Lands

The Trump administration's attack on the protection and conservation of public lands has a new champion.

August 3, 2019 - Associated press via The Salt Lake Tribune

Martin Luther King, Jr. Park

Some States Are More Difficult for an Accurate Census Count Than Others

Fear and misconception make the Census count more difficult in some parts of the country—like the state of Georgia.

August 3, 2019 - WABE

Environmentalism

Climate Mayors Make Their Case to Climate Senators at their First Hearing

Five "climate mayors" addressed the Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis at their fist hearing on July 17, titled, “A Blueprint for Success: U.S. Climate Action at the Local Level.” Transportation was a major issue.

August 2, 2019 - Curbed

LA Crime Scene

LAPD is Looking for 5,000 Volunteers to Help Police Neighborhoods

The Los Angeles Police Department is looking to recruit 5,000 volunteers to run stake outs and "undercover surveillance," along with other police activities.

August 2, 2019 - The Los Angeles Times

Road Construction

Climate Gets a Mention in First Committee's Approval of Federal Transportation Bill

A $287 billion, five-year transportation reauthorization made its way out of its first Senate committee this week.

August 1, 2019 - The Washington Post

Electric Car

The High, Regressive Costs Imposed by Electric Vehicles

Two UC Berkeley economists evaluated whether to charge electric vehicles a mileage fee since they pay no fuel taxes. A study from the Mineta Institute evaluated the impact of new EV registration fees and increased fuel taxes in California.

August 1, 2019 - CityLab

Democratic Debate

YIMBY Housing Policies Gain Support Among Democratic Candidates for President

A growing chorus of candidates seeking to challenge Donald Trump in 2020 are voicing support for the idea of relaxing zoning and land use restrictions to encourage the development of more housing supply in expensive U.S. cities.

July 31, 2019 - The Atlantic

Downtown Guthrie

The Demonization of Developers

Developers can be our friends, according to this article, as they have been before.

July 30, 2019 - The New York Times

Presidential Campaign

Bernie Sanders Voices Clear Support for Rent Control

The United States should end homelessness, substantially increase funding for community land trusts, and support local rent control ordinances and inclusionary zoning requirements, according to an op-ed by the presidential candidate.

July 30, 2019 - CNN

Tailpipe

Four Automakers Make Private Deal with California on Emissions Standards

Next month, the Trump administration rolls out one of their most significant environmental rollbacks, freezing auto emission and fuel efficiency standards at 2020 levels. The deal unveiled by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday may upend Trump's plans.

July 29, 2019 - The Washington Post

Washington D.C. Street

U.S. Senate to Consider Five-Year Highway Bill Reauthorization

The first draft of the five-year reauthorization of the FAST Act would expand first-year spending by 17 percent.

July 29, 2019 - Transport Topics

BART System

$100 Billion Bay Area Transportation Tax Considered for November 2020 Ballot

Two years after voters in the nine-county Bay Area agreed to hike tolls on the region's seven state-owned bridges, regional business leaders are hoping they will approve a one-cent regional sales tax to fund $100 billion in transportation projects.

July 28, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Congresswoman

How the Green New Deal Could Transform the Built Environment

If it emulated and adapted the scope of its predecessor, the Green New Deal could transform the country in fundamental ways, with builders, planners, and architects playing central roles.

July 27, 2019 - Fast Company

Louisville Bridge

Office of Sustainability Nixed in Louisville

Budget cuts resulted in the demise of the Office of Sustainability in the city of Louisville.

July 27, 2019 - WFPL

Madrid Pedestrian Street

Driving Ban in Madrid Central Survives Despite Change of Leadership

In sharp contrast to France's yellow vest demonstrations against fuel tax hikes, Madrid residents took to the streets to keep them free of motor vehicles after new leaders were elected who vowed to rescind the driving ban enacted last November.

July 26, 2019 - CityLab

California Wildfire

California Faces Costly Measures in Preparing for Future Wildfires

In California, recovery after wildfires means many upfront investments by communities and the state.

July 26, 2019 - The New York Times

Texas Capitol Building

Housing Policy Preemption for Red States

While statewide efforts to loosen zoning restrictions have made news in (mostly) blue states like California and Oregon, (mostly) red states like Florida have been preventing local governments from passing their own housing policies.

July 26, 2019 - Pacific Standard

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.