Government / Politics
Report: New York City Public Parks Under Stress Due to Budget Cuts and Lack of Private Funding
The private non-profit organizations that support half of New York City's public parks anticipate up to a 60% decrease in funding at a time when people rely on parks more than ever before.
Pandemic a Call to Arms for Planners
The pandemic has raised alarms about density. Post-pandemic, urban planners should fight more passionately than ever for progressive principles that make cities more equitable, pleasant, and, yes, healthy.
Housing Justice Organizers Don’t Want to Return to 'Normal'
As they organize for immediate relief for those whose housing was affected by the pandemic, tenant leaders are also building power to demand long-term changes.
Landlord, Tenant Tug-of-War for COVID-19 Relief in Los Angeles
Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) International Director Carl Muhlstein offers his outlook for what lies ahead in real estate and shares insight on the political tug-of-war between landlords and renters in the struggle for relief and protection.
The Great Scandinavian Pandemic Experiment
Perhaps no nation has captured more media attention in its handling of the coronavirus pandemic than Sweden. Unlike most of Europe, it never went into lockdown, relying mostly on voluntary social distancing. The state epidemiologist devised the plan.
Another Planning Commissioner Ousted After Coronavirus Controversy in California
Another cautionary tale of a planning commissioner that went too far during the social upheaval of the coronavirus pandemic, and has since been removed from their civic position.
Lessons from the Pandemic: Housing, Retail, Broadband
Second in a series of conversations about what comes next in local government policies and processes, this time between Geoff Koski and Ben Brown on housing, retail, and broadband
Urban Planning in a Post-Pandemic World
The coronavirus crisis is highlighting the contributions of cities as well as their vulnerabilities and the planning issues that need to be priorities in the future.
An Unlikely State Emerges as Nation's Premier Contact Tracer
The Peace Garden State is one of a handful of rural states never to have issued a stay-at-home order, yet it is number three in coronavirus testing per capita and number one in contact tracing, two of the four tools needed to contain COVID-19.
Unreliable Data, Contract Issues Slow San Diego's Smart Streetlights Program
A public-private partnership between the city of San Diego and GE Current to develop a smart streetlights program started in 2017 has not lived up to expectations three years and $300 million dollars later.
After the Plague: Go Big or Go Backwards?
Among unwelcome lessons of COVID-19 is growing evidence of what was already broken in politics and business. Ben Brown looks at making bold changes in order to improve the lives of the left out and left behind.
White House Shelves Reopening Guidelines Prepared by CDC
President Trump wants states to reopen businesses quickly but doesn't want to have the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide directions to business owners and transit agencies on how to open without spreading the coronavirus.
Street Vendors Rally for Rent Cancelation in Los Angeles
Street vendors gathered in front of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works in a May Day action to their make demands heard.
The Rush to Open: California is No Exception
California was the first state to require all residents to submit to a stay-at-home order, and it appears that Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to ensure it's not the last one to relax that order, regardless of whether it meets the federal guidelines.
San Diego City Council President Champions Equitable and Inclusive COVID Response
San Diego City Council President Georgette Gomez discusses the critical value of providing accessible and factual information and resources to the city’s diverse constituents during this unprecedented public health crisis.
Social Distancing Is Not a Novel Concept
Initial research on social isolation as a method to combat contagious disease included a high-school science fair project modeling social networks. Doctors learned that the spread of disease could be decelerated by disrupting these networks.
The Four Horsemen of the 'Fiscal' Apocalypse
Rick Cole identifies the Four Horsemen of the 'Fiscal' Apocalypse: Cratering Revenue, Neglected Infrastructure, Pension Debt, and Community Need, as heralds ushering the reinvention of city services to meet the needs of today’s urban realities.
Forecasts for New U.S. COVID Cases and Deaths Skyrocket
A draft report from the CDC projects that new cases will grow to 200,000 and deaths to 3,000 – daily, by June 1. The model the White House coronavirus task force uses has increased the projected deaths to nearly 135,000 by early August.
Report: Expect to Live with Two More Years of Social Distancing
As a majority of states relax stay-at-home restrictions, a prestigious team of experts from the University of Minnesota, Harvard and Tulane universities warns that the coronavirus will likely last 18 to 24 more months, returning in successive waves.
Urban Planning Resources for COVID-19
Online misinformation has been unavoidable, but the Internet is also full of tools essential for understanding the changed world of COVID-19.
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
