Government / Politics
All We Want for the Holidays is…
Here are a dozen timely gift ideas for creating better communities.
Texas Judge Reverses Three Austin Zoning Reforms
The ruling impacts ordinances passed in 2022 aimed at increasing housing density and supporting mixed-use development.
Article 34 in Action: Bay Area Suburb Uses 1950 Initiative to Block Homeless Housing
Next year, California voters will determine whether to repeal a 1950 initiative that requires local voter buy-in for government-supported low income housing, but that hasn't deterred Millbrae from using it to sue San Mateo County.
COP28: Will Developed Nations Reduce Emissions?
Tensions between developed and developing nations surfaced over emissions and energy, with the former focused on reducing fossil fuels and the latter pointing to unrealized emissions reductions from the nations most responsible for global warming.
FHWA Issues Emissions Tracking Rule
The agency will require states to monitor transportation emissions and create plans to address air pollution.
New York Court Rules on Cycling Search and Seizure
The ruling gives people on bikes the same rights as drivers when it comes to police stops.
Federal Court Dismisses Huntington Beach Housing Lawsuit
A federal judge on November 13 dismissed a lawsuit the Orange County city filed against the state and the Southern California Association of Governments in March in an attempt to exempt itself from state housing laws.
EPA Launches Environmental Justice Grant Program
The agency says the program is designed to be more accessible to smaller and underresourced communities.
A Little-Known Loophole Puts Cyclists at Risk
Crosswalk laws in most U.S. states don’t offer legal protections to people on bikes, scooters, or mobility devices.
‘Renters Bill of Rights’ One Step Closer to Reality
The Biden administration could strengthen tenant protections on a national scale by leveraging federally backed mortgages to mandate rent stabilization and bar discrimination in rental housing.
Tollways for Sacramento?
Road pricing terminology can be confusing, particularly since Californians see so little of it. For example, a Sacramento TV station calls proposed express lanes on Interstate 80 from Solano County to Sacramento a ‘tollway.’
After Underpass Fire, California to Review Land Lease Program
The state leases space under freeways to boost revenue, but their contracts are loosely enforced.
Nebraska Governor Orders Return to Office for State Workers
The executive order could negatively impact the state’s workforce, which faces a shortage of more than 2,500 employees.
How Public-Private Partnerships Shape Urban Development
Explore the significant role of public-private partnerships in shaping urban development and driving collaboration and innovation for sustainable city growth.
Energy Reliability on the Ballot in Texas
Texans will decide on November 7 whether to subsidize electricity generation to strengthen the power grid to prevent blackouts, but only with the construction of new natural gas power plants.
Opinion: Voters Deserve to See the Draft ‘One Seattle’ Plan
Despite a promise to release a draft comprehensive plan update in April and with elections in less than a week, Seattle residents are still waiting to see the city’s proposal for how to guide development in the next decades.
Converting a Freeway Lane to a Toll Lane: No Easy Task!
The San Mateo County Transportation Authority wants to extend its new express toll lanes north to the San Francisco border. The two build options are widening Highway 101 or converting an existing lane in each direction. One is essentially illegal.
Regional Government Reform on the Ballot in Houston
If Proposition B passes, Houston and other populous areas could gain more voting power in the region’s metropolitan planning organization.
Report Evaluates Equity in Federal Infrastructure Grants
The report indicates that large formula funding programs tend to support the status quo, reinforcing car-centric planning and inequitable spending patterns.
The Messy Politics of Saving Lives from Drug Overdoses
Philadelphia was on the verge of approving a key harm reduction strategy to prevent fatal drug overdoses until the city council all but banned supervised injection sites, overriding a mayoral veto. A New York Times report explores the controversy.
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
