Government / Politics
Mayors' Influence Going Beyond City Limits
Mayors are becoming more active -- and more visible -- beyond their jurisdictions. This article looks at how the role of the mayor is changing.
Minneapolis Neighborhoods Wrestle With Mansionization
Several neighborhoods in the southwestern corner of the city are hoping that the city will clamp down on monster homes, but builders and Realtors aren't going down without a fight.
State Will Use Traffic Fines To Fuel Road Projects
As of July 1, Virginia drivers have lots to fear if they break traffic laws –- huge traffic fines, so as to help pay for the roads they drive on.
Man Recieves First 'Mississippi Cottage'
David Biggs, a lifelong resident of Moss Point, Mississippi, is overjoyed with his new modular cottage, a marked improvement over FEMA trailers.
Public Transit, Private Parking
High demand for parking spaces at a transit station has prompted one city to consider banning residents of other cities from using the parking lot.
Worries Over UGB-Splitting Bill And The Onslaught Of Sprawl
A powerful home builders lobby in Oregon helped push a bill through the state legislature that some say threatens the urban growth boundary for the city of Eugene, and essentially opens the flood gates for sprawl in the area.
Washington Needed After All?
Much has been made recently about how U.S. municipal and state governments aren't waiting for the federal government to act on climate change. Now it appears that these efforts can't succeed without Washington.
High Bottled Water Spending Prompts City Ban
Amid revelations that San Francisco City government had been spending almost half a million dollars a year on bottled water, the mayor has instituted a ban that would require all government water use to come straight from the tap.
Minneapolis Looks To Crack Down On McMansions
The Minneapolis City Council has proposed measures that would limit the size of new houses in the city -- a move targeting oversized 'McMansion' homes that already account for about 1% of the housing stock.
Not Your Typical Town Hall Meeting
Once a month, a Minnesota drug store transforms itself into a neighborhood town hall meeting place where Democratic candidates vying for nearly any Minnesota office come to discuss and debate issues with the people they look to represent.
Bill To Protect Cyclists From Careless Drivers Passes
The Oregon Legislature has passed a bill that will increase penalties to drivers who carelessly injure or kill pedestrians, cyclists, and other "vulnerable" road users. Convicted offenders could face a one-year license suspension.
Second Home Owners Engaging In Activism
Vacation home owners are getting involved in local issues in their second communities.
U.S. Cities Follow Californian Opposition To Wal-Mart
Many cities are following the lead of various municipalities up and down California that are using any and all possible powers to prevent Wal-Marts from moving in. But despite the growing opposition, business is booming.
Michael Bloomberg: Chairman Of The Big Apple
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg views citizens as customers and city workers as assets. How does this translate into a new city hall transparency and vastly improved city services?
Documentary Follows Suburban Development Fight In Austin
"The Unforeseen," a new documentary, takes a thoughtful look at the various interests at stake in the development of sprawling real estate in Austin.
Seattle Grapples With Tree Losses
A rash of illegal tree cutting in Seattle has prompted local officials to act on the city's decreasing amount of trees and canopy cover. Tree-planting efforts hope to build the canopy back from less than its current city coverage of less than 20%.
New US Embassy In Baghdad Looks Like Suburban Sprawl
LA Times architectural critic Christopher Hawthorne examines the depressing-looking new and massive 104-acre U.S. embassy compound being constructed in Iraq within the 'Green Zone'.
Chicago's Green Plans Falling Short
Despite big plans to make the city a national example for environmental friendliness, some say Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's measures have failed to produce the intended results.
Outsourcing Local Government?
Sandy Springs, Georgia, with 80,000 residents, has apparently successfully outsourced all government functions, except for police and fire services.
What Toronto Could Learn From Chicago
Margaret Wente lists Chicago's strengths and criticizes Toronto's mayor for the city's problems.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
