Government / Politics

The Unveiling Of Miami 21

The City of Miami is set to change its antiquated zoning laws, hoping for a "grandly ambitious zoning overhaul".

May 12, 2006 - The Miami Herald

Politicians Seek To Please NY Motorists With Gas Tax Cut

Anxious to reduce gas prices, New York legislators agreed to reduce the gasoline tax by four to nine cents per gallon. Lost revenues could equal $450 million/year.

May 12, 2006 - The New York Times

Competing Strategies To Reduce Oil Consumption

Since 1975, environmentalists and their allies have fought to raise fuel efficiency standards in new vehicles. On Tuesday, another attempt was made. Meanwhile, an academic think tank testifies for an alternative approach, albeit an unpopular one.

May 11, 2006 - The San Francisco Chronicle

List Of World's 'Failed States' Released

A U.S. foreign policy magazine and think tank have released a ranking of 146 nations by their degree of failure. Sudan tops the list.

May 11, 2006 - BBC News

The Country's Largest Eminent Domain Seizure?

A small Florida town is the center of another eminent domain controversy -- one that could displace nearly 20 percent of its population.

May 11, 2006 - Associated Press

Contractor Loses HUD Deal Over Views On Bush

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson tells a minority real estate forum that prospective contractors should keep their political views to themselves.

May 10, 2006 - Dallas Business Journal

NY Gubernatorial Candidate Picks Transportation Project Priorities

Democratic candidate and NY Attorney General Eliot Spitzer recently detailed his transportation priorities, including a Second Avenue subway, LIRR connection to Grand Central, and Tappan Zee Bridge replacement.

May 9, 2006 - The New York Times

States Take Action To Protect Property Rights

Oregon's Measure 37 has inspired a national property rights movement to restrict local regulatory takings and dramatically reduce eminent domain powers, writes Leonard Gilroy, AICP, in this Op-Ed.

May 8, 2006 - Leonard Gilroy, AICP

Largest Infrastructure Bond Ever Heading To California Voters

Headed to the governor, then the voters, November ballot is the largest bond issue ever -- four bonds totaling $37.3 billion, consisting of billions for transportation, schools, levees, and affordable housing.

May 6, 2006 - The Sacramento Bee

Displacement And Discrimination: The Politics Of Re-Housing New Orleans' Poor

Despite a Senate report that recommended FEMA be dismantled and replaced, the troubled agency is still "holding the purse strings" on recovery in New Orleans, and tens of thousands of residents may be cut off from rental assistance monies next month.

May 5, 2006 - Tom Paine

India's Widening Infrastructure Deficit

Private developers in India have recently done very well, but has the government kept pace? The Narmada Dam dispute highlights the enduring shortcomings in the government's ability to facilitate fair and sustainable development.

May 4, 2006 - Businessweek Online

World's Biggest Embassy Will Be Visible From Space

While most aspects of the American reconstruction in Iraq is either behind schedule, over budget, or under investigation for fraud, the United States is building a massive "city within a city", an embassy so large it will be visible from space.

May 4, 2006 - The Times (UK)

New York's Mayor Bloomberg Supports Eminent Domain

Mayor Bloomberg warns that without the power of eminent domain, New York City could lose millions in private investment and thousands of jobs.

May 4, 2006 - The New York Times

New Orleans To Receive Millions In Government Aid -- From Qatar

Several prominent institutions in New Orleans are to benefit from the generosity of Qatar and other Persian Gulf States.

May 4, 2006 - The New York Times

Designing For Security: Post 9/11 Architecture and Planning

How has American architecture, landscape architecture, and urban planning responded to the need to design secure public spaces and buildings in the post-9/11 era?

May 3, 2006 - BusinessWeek

Bringing New Urbanism To New Orleans

To fund a week-long charrette with over 40 architects, planners, and engineers, New Urbanism founder Andres Duany chipped in $150,000 of his own money. As a result, one neighborhood is much further along in the planning process than its counterparts.

May 3, 2006 - The Wall Street Journal

A Strategy That Works To Reduce Gasoline Consumption

Columnist John Tierney takes a bipartisan swipe at federal responses to $3 gallon gasoline. He suggests a "revenue-neutral gas tax" whereby the tax paid at the pump would be returned to the taxpayers as "something that works".

May 3, 2006 - The New York Times

Canada Throws Out Kyoto, Turns To 'Made in Canada' Approach

Canada's new Conservative government tabled its budget yesterday, and with it reversed the previous government's commitment to the Kyoto Protocol.

May 3, 2006 - The Washington Post

The Elephant in the Green Room

Grist interviews retiring Republican environmental leader Sherwood Boehlert.

May 2, 2006 - Grist Magazine

Nation's Energy Policy Is 'Stuck In Neutral'

Both political parties are to blame for the nation's energy crisis, writes Ronald Brownstein.

May 2, 2006 - The Los Angeles 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.