Government / Politics

BikePortland.com editor Jonathan Maus interviews Rep. Wayne Krieger about his legislation requiring cyclists to register their bicycles.

March 26, 2009 - BikePortland.org

Matt Fikse calls attention to a Seattle transit plan, which has few drawbacks but has been left to die by officials. Why the streetcar beat out the Rapid Trolley Network.

March 26, 2009 - Crosscut

An ambitious HUD program promoting homeownership in troubled neighborhoods is, by some accounts, "one of the more intelligent things HUD has done in its history."

March 26, 2009 - The Christian Science Monitor

While the number of private sector jobs shrinks, places with higher proportions of government workers are doing quite well. It's estimated that public servants will see wage increases of 2% or more this year.

March 26, 2009 - Newsweek

According to Kazys Varnelis, architects should spend less time worrying about the little funding that the stimulus allots to highways and rail, and spending more time focusing on new technologies that supplement typical infrastructure.

March 25, 2009 - The Architect's Newspaper

When Andres Duany planned the village of Cornell, he built in walkability, density, and mixed-use. The outcome, however, falls short of the New Urbanist vision; driving is the norm and retail is scarce. What happened?

March 25, 2009 - Posted Toronto

The $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that President Obama signed on Feb. 17 left advocates of compact and transit-oriented development practically biting their tongues.

March 24, 2009 - New Urban News

A region known more for carbon emissions strives to create a carbon-neutral city powered by renewable energy and designed to reduce overall energy demand.

March 23, 2009 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer says that as a result of outmoded industrial and funding models, state governments are facing grave financial problems.

March 23, 2009 - Slate

This piece from Robert E. Lang and Lawrence Levy calls for President Barack Obama to include suburban voices in his administration's policy discussions about urban issues.

March 23, 2009 - Citiwire

A new master plan for New Orleans has been released. Controversy is expected on the highly anticipated plan as public input is gathered.

March 23, 2009 - New Orleans Times Picayune

March 23, 2009 - Roberta Brandes Gratz

Smart rates that reflect the variability of energy demand will be an essential aspect of smart electricity grid, according to experts. To get there, states will have to make some changes.

March 22, 2009 - Stateline

Neal Peirce looks at the daunting challenges facing the new White House Office of Urban Affairs.

March 22, 2009 - Citiwire

Planetizen blogger Rob Goodspeed looks back to America's past to find examples of effective national planning that could be applied today.

March 21, 2009 - The Goodspeed Update

The market for recyclables has taken a sharp nosedive in recent months, challenging cities' ability to provide recycling services.

March 21, 2009 - CNN

Officials in North Texas showed significant support yesterday for legislation to raise money for billions of dollars in road and rail improvements.

March 20, 2009 - The Star-Telegram

Duke Energy hopes to tap $3.4 billion of stimulus funds to build the nation's first clean coal plant, burning the coal in a gaseous form and storing the CO2 emissions. It already has received federal funds to build the $2.35 coal power plant in IN.

March 20, 2009 - The New York Times: Energy & Environment

"Blueprint America" looks at declining public transit subsidies and resulting transit service cuts. The video and report follows two East Bay commuters on suburban bus, BART; the transit agency meeting where bus service is reduced; MUNI LRT footage.

March 20, 2009 - PBS-The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer

Nine-month study commissioned by President Nicolas Sarkozy aims to transform Paris and its surrounding suburbs into the first sustainable “post-Kyoto" city.

March 19, 2009 - The New York Times