Government / Politics

Affordable Housing Needs Affordable Land

Witold Rybzynski details the vicious cycle behind the nation's shortage of affordable housing.

October 16, 2008 - The Wilson Quarterly

D.C. Ponders Density

Washington, D.C. is almost out of space, and planners are now considering building upward to combat sprawl.

October 16, 2008 - The Seattle Times

Canada's Tories Fail to Sway Urban Voters

The Conservative Party may have won Canada's federal election yesterday, but did so without much support from major cities. With few urban MPs in the Conservative cabinet, how will the incoming parliament deal with issues facing cities?

October 16, 2008 - The Globe and Mail

'Housing That Works' Plan Announced

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has announced that within the next five years, $5 billion will go to funding 20,000 new affordable homes near public transportation.

October 16, 2008 - The Architect's Newspaper

Candidates Must Appeal to Cities, Suburbs

Tonight's presidential debate is the candidates' last chance to address respective suburban and urban issues.

October 15, 2008 - The New York Times

The One-Day Casino

To keep its gaming rights which will in turn preserve its property value, The Queen of Hearts casino must open for eight hours every two years.

October 15, 2008 - Los Angeles Times

Anti-Zoning Stand Marked Palin's Early Political Career

Days after Palin became Mayor she cast a proud, dissenting vote against the first zoning plan in Wasilla's history. Wasilla today reflects the results of Palin's free-market approach to development.

October 13, 2008 - Boston Globe

Bailout Will Try to Save Suburbs, But Can't

Despite the $700 billion financial bailout plan, the suburbs will continue to lose population and value, according to Peter Katz. He says it's time for the government to prevent suburban development that is only doomed to fail.

October 12, 2008 - Citiwire

T. Boone Meets Gov. Palin To Talk Energy

Oil, gas and wind man T.Boone Pickens is clearly interjecting himself and his plan into presidential, and vice-presidential politics. Recently, he sat down with Sarah and Todd Palin to promote his plan of using natural gas as a transportation fuel.

October 11, 2008 - Boone Blog

Bailout Gives Tax Break to Bicycle Commuters

The $700 billion bailout bill includes federal tax benefits for people who commute by bike.

October 11, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Ike's Devastation Underreported

The media's inattention to Hurricane Ike has hidden its devastating impacts on infrastructure and the environment, as well as a poor response on the part of the federal government.

October 10, 2008 - Brattleboro Reformer

Under McCain, Homeowners to Get a Direct Boost

Upon gaining the presidency, Senator McCain would make the federal government spend part of its bailout money on bad home mortgages, allowing homeowners to stay put and make payments that reflect their homes' lessened values.

October 9, 2008 - Newsweek

Three Perspectives on CA's 'Smart Growth' Bill

The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Sacramento Bee editorialize on the signing of SB 375, California's new landmark law that is intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing vehicle miles traveled through better land use.

October 9, 2008 - The New York Times

Disparities of Going Green

In this article, Deneen Borelli argues that elite environmentalists are blocking access to natural resources that are abundant and in urgent need. As a result, higher costs of stricter energy requirements hit poor black communities the hardest.

October 9, 2008 - The Root

Bloomberg's Third Term A Boon For Citymaking

A third term for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been sold as a method to save Wall Street, but it's really more important to the city's urban planning, according to this piece from The Architect's Newspaper.

October 9, 2008 - The Architect's Newspaper

The Fight for the Front Lawn

Greg Beato looks at self-expression via the front lawn. In places that lack homeowners associations, he suggests, individualized lawns have great potential to strengthen the surrounding community.

October 8, 2008 - Reason Online

The Case for the Cross-Border Region

Recognizing a need for formal cooperation between the regions in the middle of North America, the author of this article calls for a North American Central Economic Region.

October 8, 2008 - New Geography

Continued Demolition Threatens New Orleans Character

In post-Katrina New Orleans, a fine line exists between razing potentially deadly structures, and harnessing a zeal for wholesale redevelopment.

October 7, 2008 - New Orleans City Business

Mexico Fighting Police Corruption Through Homeownership

Officials in Mexico are looking to crack down on rampant police corruption with an unlikely carrot: mortgages.

October 7, 2008 - Associated Press

A Third Term For Bloomberg?

Apparently there are limits to 'term limits', and as New York City faces grave times due to the country's financial crisis disproportionately affecting them, the NYC Council Speaker indicated she would introduce legislation allowing for a third term.

October 6, 2008 - The New York Times

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.