Government / Politics

Tampa Rejects Rent Control, Citing Legal Concerns
The city council failed to move on a proposal that would have implemented rent stabilization, opting instead to explore other avenues for preventing evictions and improving the cost of housing.

CDC Relaxes Guidance to Allow Most Americans to Ditch Masking
In a major reversal, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised the metrics and thresholds that determine when masking is recommended. Only 5% of counties met the old metric on Feb. 25; now 70% of Americans need not don a mask indoors.

Resilience Matters: Opportunities for Action to Strengthen Communities
In this hopeful and frustrating year, contributors to the Island Press Urban Resilience Project celebrate our collective progress and challenges in a new free book of short and sweet articles, op-eds, and interviews. Essential reading for planners!

Paris To Ban Most Cars in 'Quiet Zone'
Continuing Mayor Anne Hidalgo's efforts to make Paris more accessible to pedestrians and cyclists, the city plans to implement a 'car-light' zone in the city center that prohibits through traffic.

The Uphill Battle Facing Section 8 Recipients
Housing voucher recipients face a gauntlet of challenges when trying to find housing. Nonprofits are doing their best to streamline the process.

Why a Complete Streets Makeover Went Awry in Philadelphia
The city pulled the plug on a proposed street redesign after community groups criticized the public engagement process for not listening to all local voices.

Houston Interstate Widening Continues To Threaten Communities
The proposed freeway expansion in downtown Houston has faced searing backlash from local residents who see the project as a relic of the era of rampant freeway construction and neighborhood disruption.

L.A.'s Housing Element, Considered Among California's Most Ambitious, Rejected by State Regulators
The California Housing Department gave credit to Los Angeles for targeting so much growth before telling the city it needed to do more.

Rural Washington's Infrastructure Wishlist
Rural Washington communities want to see federal infrastructure funding allocated to projects in the historically neglected eastern parts of the state.

How 'Liberty Politics' Cripples Road Safety Projects
Some states and cities are citing personal liberty and constitutional rights to oppose automated traffic enforcement and other road safety measures.

Fair Fares Program Criticized for Eligibility Threshold
Critics of the city's transit assistance program say limiting eligibility to people living at or below the federal poverty line excludes many low-income New Yorkers who depend on public transit.

Great Lakes To Receive $1 Billion from Infrastructure Bill For Restoration
An additional $1 billion in federal funding will bolster current efforts to clean polluted water sources and restore ecosystems in the Great Lakes region.

New York Legislature To Vote on Complete Streets Bills
A set of proposed laws would make streets safer for all road users in an effort to reduce traffic deaths.

Let the Endemic Planning Begin
The first state in the nation to issue a stay-at-home order to slow the spread of a novel coronavirus that humans had no immunity from became the first to release an actual endemic plan, complete with a fancy acronym, SMARTER.

Conservatives, Progressives, and Cities
Are liberals more pro-urban than conservatives? On some issues, yes—but in other ways, reality is more complicated.

Dallas Drafts Infrastructure Wish List
The city hopes to qualify for as much as $3 billion in federal infrastructure funding.

What Is an Entitlement?
In the context of planning and development, an entitlement is the legal agreement between a government and a landowner to allow a proposed development.

Democrats Balk at Gov. Newsom's Gas Tax Holiday
Saving motorists 3 cents a gallon may be a slam dunk for Republican leaders in the California legislature who opposed hiking the gas tax in the first place, but Democratic leaders are reluctant to tamper with a hard-fought legislative and ballot win.

'Charging as a Service' Could Accelerate Decarbonization
The proliferation of private EV charging services, coupled with federal investment in charging stations, has the potential to reduce 'charging anxiety' and encourage a faster switch to electric vehicles.

Will Philly's New Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning Yield Results?
City leaders hope a new affordable housing law will increase the supply of affordable units in the city, but critics say the policy may lead to reduced construction and higher housing costs.
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