Government / Politics

Coronavirus Testing

Seattle Needs Walk-Up Testing for People Without Access to Cars

Disability rights advocates and people who rely on public transit put pressure on Mayor Jenny Durkan to develop a plan for pedestrian access to coronavirus testing centers in Seattle.

April 19, 2020 - The Seattle Times

Custer, North Dakota

Coronavirus Shuts Down Food Processing Plant as President Pushes Reopening Economy

As President Donald Trump eyes May 1 for "opening up states," he might want to look at states that never shut down businesses to understand his public health advisor's warning that "the virus makes the timeline."

April 19, 2020 - The Washington Post

Electric Car Charging Stencil

The U.S. Passed a Clean Energy Stimulus in 2009—Can the Same Happen in 2020?

The Obama-era American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funded clean energy and created jobs during the Great Recession. Will clean energy be considered in a future stimulus bill to mitigate economic strain cased by the coronavirus pandemic?

April 17, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

New York City

Part II: The New Regionalism of the Coronavirus Pandemic

Part I was shutting down the economy on a multi-state basis in the absence of federal leadership. Part II will be opening them up in spite of federal assertiveness.

April 16, 2020 - Politico

U.S. Census Bureau

Census Bureau Seeks Delay

Citing complications from the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Census Bureau is seeking a 120-day delay in concluding the Census process, with potential consequences lasting into 2021.

April 15, 2020 - Associated Press via ABC 7 News

Public Health

COVID-19 Impacts on the Future of Transportation

MoveLA's Denny Zane and Gloria Ohland assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public transit.

April 15, 2020 - The Planning Report

Columbus, Ohio skyline reflected in the Scioto River

Another State (Ohio) Gets It Right

Washington and California have been praised for early efforts to mitigate community spread of the novel coronavirus, resulting in relatively low rates of infection, hospitalization, and ultimately, death. Add Ohio to the bunch.

April 14, 2020 - The Washington Post

Olympia, Washington

Questioning Washington State's Commitment to Greenhouse Gas Reductions

Lawmakers in Washington state fell short of passing comprehensive legislation this year to meet long-term goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

April 13, 2020 - Crosscut

Campanile

Distance Learning and University Challenges Under COVID-19

University of California Board of Regents Chair John A. Pérez shares the University of California's real-time response to the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting economic and pedagogical impacts for the system.

April 13, 2020 - The Planning Report

The Tenderloin

Safe At Home: Securing Affordable Housing in a Pandemic

An interview on the critical importance of securing quality affordable housing during the pandemic, coupled with the challenge of responding to the operational needs of ongoing development projects.

April 13, 2020 - The Planning Report

Regional Transit

A New Ballot Measure Could Increase Caltrain's Funding by $108 Million Per Year

Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Francisco county voters could see a ballot measure to fund an ambitious Caltrain plan with a one-eighth cent sales tax, amounting to more than $100 million dollars per year.

April 12, 2020 - The Mercury News

City Kids

Project For Public Spaces Launches Initiative to Improve Marketplaces Worldwide

Project for Public Spaces' Market Cities Initiative seeks to understand and addresses challenges faced by the public marketplaces to improve market infrastructure and promote healthy food systems in local communities.

April 9, 2020 - Project For Public Spaces

California Shelter-in-Place

Contrasting the Coronavirus Impact in the Bay Area to New York City

Early intervention, or population density? NPR reporters based in the Bay Area and New York City offer explanations as to why the two regions are seeing such a wide contrast in experiences during the coronavirus outbreak.

April 8, 2020 - NPR

Metro Rapid Bus

Causes of the Pre-COVID Decline in Bus Ridership

Even before the effects fo the coronavirus pandemic drastically reduced ridership, transit riders were declining in cities across the country. The reasons for the downward trend were varied.

April 8, 2020 - The New York Times

Transit in a Pandemic

How Coronavirus Could Worsen the Racial Wealth Gap in the United States

The impact of coronavirus on unemployment and healthcare is predicted to affect black and Latinos at a disproportionate rate, raising questions about what can be done to ease the suffering and close the racial wealth divide in America.

April 8, 2020 - CNN Business

Coronavirus

Learning from Seattle

The original epicenter of coronavirus outbreak was also the first region in the nation to implement social distancing measures, serving as a national model of behaviors that lessen the spread of the deadly virus.

April 7, 2020 - The New York Times

Stormwater Infrastructure

Resiliency Frameworks and Disaster Responses Pre-COVID

Los Angeles resilience officer Aaron Gross and Hitachi's Beverly Rider provide a point-in-time glimpse at the evolving notion of resilience and how governments, businesses, neighborhoods, and people prepare for, respond to, and recover from disaster.

April 7, 2020 - The Planning Report

Factory Emissions

EPA Relaxes Environmental Rules, Cites Coronavirus

During the outbreak, the agency will allow companies to monitor themselves for pollution violations.

April 6, 2020 - The New York Times

COVID-19

A Cheer (Or Maybe Even Two) For Redundancy

Is government too efficient to protect us from epidemics?

April 6, 2020 - Michael Lewyn

Coronavirus

States Not Unified in Response to Coronavirus Pandemic

Public health experts were pleased that Trump extended his coronavirus guidelines, but they remain advisory, left to state and local governments to implement. Nine states have yet to issue stay-at-home orders, leaving the nation vulnerable to COVID.

April 6, 2020 - The Hill

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.

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