Government / Politics
The Pandemic Is Not Ending—But Restrictions Are
The science hasn't changed but the politics have, and policymakers are responding appropriately. Transmission of the coronavirus during the Omicron wave remains at an all-time high, although infections are decreasing globally.
L.A. Tenants Hit With Sudden Rent Hikes Under 'Discounted Rent' Loophole
A legal loophole has allowed some Los Angeles landlords to sharply raise rents on apartments that would otherwise fall under the city's rent stabilization ordinance and pandemic-related rent freeze.
USPS Says It Needs More Money To Electrify Fleet
The agency claims the federal government isn't providing enough funding to switch more of its delivery trucks to electric vehicles.
Protecting Affordable Housing After Natural Disasters
Research shows that low-income communities suffer most and take the longest to recover from disasters, which can often wipe out affordable housing stock and displace vulnerable households.
Study: Speed Camera Citations Correlate to Safe Infrastructure
New research suggests that fewer speeding tickets are issued in neighborhoods where the city has invested in traffic calming and pedestrian safety improvements.
Washington State Weighs Housing Benefit Districts
A proposed state bill would institutionalize a funding mechanism that could direct millions in new revenue to affordable housing development.
Why 'Accidents' Are Not Inevitable
A new book argues that accidental deaths, from car crashes to industrial accidents, are a result of a 'rapacious' capitalist system that prioritizes profits over people.
Lawmaker Proposes Permanent Environmental Review Exemptions for Transit Projects
A 2020 law that exempts transit, bike, and pedestrian projects from California's strict environmental review process could become permanent.
Time for a Federal Gas Tax Holiday?
Senate Democrats introduced legislation to lower gas prices by suspending the federal gas tax through the end of the year. General funds would be directed to the Highway Trust Fund to replace gas tax revenue.
Ballot Initiative Could Overturn California's Zoning Reforms
The "mother of all NIMBY initiatives" is seeking signatures to qualify for the statewide ballot in California.
Does Rental Assistance Demonstration Privatize Public Housing?
How exactly does RAD work and why is there a raging debate over whether it’s putting tenants’ rights and housing affordability in peril?
New York State Legislature Debates Single-Family Zoning
To boost the state's housing supply, some New York lawmakers want to eliminate local control over single-family zoning.
Arizona Enters the Upzoning Fray
Arizona lawmakers have proposed a bill that would boost the state's affordable housing fund and increase density in some residential areas.
Everglades Restoration To Receive $1.1 Billion in Federal Funds
An 'unprecedented' investment of more than one billion dollars will go toward efforts to restore and conserve the fragile and troubled South Florida ecosystem.
Danish Paradox: High COVID Transmission Leads to Endemicity
The nation with the world's highest COVID infections per capita was the first in Europe to end almost all coronavirus restrictions. The decision comes with the declaration that as of Feb. 1, COVID is no longer a "socially critical disease" in Denmark
Infrastructure Funding Could Lead to Higher Carbon Emissions
Billions in federal infrastructure funding slated to go to states with few strings attached could fund roadway construction and widening projects that will raise greenhouse gas emissions and worsen climate change.
L.A. Councilmember Proposes Criminalizing On-Street Bike Repairs
Councilmember Krekorian's proposal to criminalize bike repairs and sales on public right-of-way has been sharply criticized as a cynical move that will unfairly target the unhoused.
CDC Not Yet On Board with Ending Masking Requirements
Blue states have joined red ones in ending masking orders as COVID cases plummet, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sticking to its guidance: where transmission is 'high' or 'substantial,' universal indoor masking is recommended.
Federal Government Pledges $5 Billion for Electric Car Charging
A $5 billion federal investment will contribute to state efforts to install electric vehicle charging stations along interstate highways and major corridors.
Boulder's Eviction Prevention Program, One Year Later
A program created last year to assist tenants and prevent evictions has helped close to 400 households in its first year.
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
