Government / Politics
Environmentalists May Delay High Speed Rail In California
With the $10 billion bond slated for the November ballot in California, the latest twist in the long saga of delays is that environmentalists, unhappy with the proposed route into the Bay Area from the Central Valley, threaten to litigate the EIR.
'Free' Parking Costing Fort Worth Taxpayers Millions
Taxpayers in Forth Worth are paying millions per year to lease parking spaces to provide free parking downtown, enabled by a TIF that is supposed to build infrastructure in a blighted area. Many are calling it a misuse of taxpayer money.
Baltimore, Facing Foreclosure Crisis, Sues Subprime Lender
Citing the extraordinary impact of the subprime lending fiasco on minority households, the City of Baltimore is suing Wells Fargo for lost property tax revenue and the increased costs the city is now facing as a result of mass foreclosures.
Thinking Beyond the Olympics in Beijing
With the 2008 Olympics heading to Beijing, Chinese officials are looking at ways to reduce pollution and improve air quality by the time the games begin. But locals are also starting to think about life after the games.
Feds Pressure Baltimore For Drug Center Rezoning
For the third time, the city of Baltimore is considering a zone change that would allow live-in drug centers to be located in residential areas. Residents are opposed, but the Department of Justice has threatened to sue unless changes are made.
Abolish Montreal's 'Little Kingdoms'
Owing to political fragmentation and 20 different mayors, the Canadian city of Montreal is becoming increasingly dysfunctional and must be simplified, writes Lysiane Gagnon.
Extreme Makeover: Government Edition
According to columnist Ken Miller, government agencies can learn a lot from the television show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition".
Housing Questions for the Presidential Candidates
City Limits Weekly presents a rundown of some of the biggest housing-related issues facing presidential candidates this year and looks at the policies and records of those vying to take over the country's top post.
Subdivision Tests Limits of Measure 49
A land subdivision in Oregon approved under the state's Measure 37 is going forward, despite the fact that it should have been significantly scaled back after the passage of Measure 49 in November. Many view this case as a test of what 49 will allow.
Urban Innovators on List of Planet Heroes
The Guardian has released a list of the "50 people who could save the planet," including some urban innovators who are changing the way the world thinks about cities.
Exurban Growth Without Sprawl?
Johnson County's rural residents fear the expansion of nearby Overland Park is a land grab that will perpetuate suburban sprawl, thereby diminishing their quality of life.
Mortgage Crisis Solution Is In The Past
In this column, Neal Peirce argues that the country needs to take a step back in time to the regulations and policies of the early 1970s to solve the current mortgage meltdown.
Congestion Pricing Debuts in Milan
The city of Milan, Italy, has instituted a congestion pricing system.
Kansas City to Require LEED-Platinum City Buildings
The tornado-ravaged Kansas city of Greensburg has announced plans to become the first city to require that all city-owned buildings achieve the Platinum rating level of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED building standard.
L.A.'s Subway Plans Should Look To Public-Private Partnerships
L.A.'s regional transit system needs a spine, and the "Subway to the Sea" from downtown to the westside could be that spine. But to make it happen, the city needs to think about a public-private partnership, according to this commentary.
The Evolution of San Francisco - Winners & Losers
San Francisco is in flux - more than just the sky-line is changing. Middle-class families, blacks, even Latinos may be in flight while whites and Asians are on the rise, and the young and old rich fill the new high-rises.
New Jersey Tax Credit To Encourage Transit-Oriented Locations
New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine is pushing a bill that would offer tax credits of up to $75 million to businesses that locate within a half-mile of a transit station.
How Presidential Politics 'Hurts Cities'
In this video clip, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown discusses how presidential politics are unduly influenced by rural power, at the expense of the interests of cities.
California Is Defined By Cultural Changes Accompanying Its Enormous Growth
Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Walters examines both state and Census Bureau growth figures for California, concluding that the significant difference is less important than what the huge growth means for the future of the nation's most populous state.
One-Man Roadblock to Atlanta's Beltline Project
The expansive Beltline transit and parkspace development planned for Atlanta is being hindered by one man's lawsuits over the legality of the funding used to build it.
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Jessamine County Fiscal Court
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