Government / Politics

A side view of a young Black woman in a red sweater and jeans standing at a ballot box in a gymnasium with white walls and an American flag in the background.

Gen Z Says Housing Affordability Is Top Issue in November Election

As mortgages remain out of reach and rents unaffordable, particularly for younger generations, housing affordability could be a deciding factor at the ballot box.

June 9, 2024 - HousingWire

For rent sign with blurry house in background

DOJ Investigating Corporate Landlords for Criminal Conspiracy

Lawsuits allege corporate landlords used property management software RealPage to cooperatively raise rents. The impact on the Atlanta rental market appears to be broad enough that the Feds are investigating for potential criminal conspiracy.

June 9, 2024 - Popular Information

View of Louisiana state capitol building and downton Baton Rouge, LA

May’s Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month

The month of May featured a lot of stories on local and state bans, as well as a controversial move to split Baton Rouge in two.

June 7, 2024 - Mary Hammon

Austin skyline at dusk with a river on the left and I-35 running along the right.

TxDOT Wages Quiet Battle to Acquire Properties for I-35 Expansion

TxDOT has filed “takings lawsuits” against holdout property owners along the eight-mile stretch of I-35 slated for widening in Austin, but property owners say the agency isn't offering just compensation.

June 6, 2024 - KXAN

Aerial view of a bright green turf soccer stadium surrounded by red surfaced track with a river to the right and a downown skyline in the background against a bright blue sky.

Indianapolis’s Proposed MLS Stadium Gets New Site, Funding Mechanism

The Indianapolis city-county council approved Mayor Hogsett’s alternate plan for a hoped-for professional soccer stadium.

June 6, 2024 - Axios

Aerial view of traffic in New York City entering Queens Midtown tunnel

NYC Congestion Pricing Postponed Indefinitely in 'Stunning Reversal'

MTA and transit advocates in New York City are blindsided by Gov. Kathy Hochul's announcement that the city’s long-awaited congestion pricing plan implementation will not move forward on June 30.

June 5, 2024 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

Heavily damaged white small SUV parked on street with heavy tornado damage and leveled houses in Mayfield, Kentucky.

The Growing Role of Federal Government in Disaster Relief

As flooding, fires, and other disasters become more destructive, an effective response requires more resources than local governments can offer.

June 4, 2024 - Governing

A wooden gavel with gray background filled with a stack of books.

Home Equity Takings Case Will Move Forward, Federal Judge Rules

Two plaintiffs in Greenfield, Massachusetts, have accused city officials of violating the Takings Clause after the city foreclosed on their properties to recoup unpaid property taxes and then kept all the equity.

June 4, 2024 - Greenfield Recorder

Coal mining equipment and vehicles at coal mining site in Wyoming.

A Win for ‘Keep it in the Ground’

Coal mining in Wyoming will take a major hit as a result of a U.S. Department of Interior plan to cease future leasing of coal mines in the nation's most productive coal mining basin. The decision casts a spotlight on the presidential election.

June 4, 2024 - Irvin Dawid

Lynx Blue Line

Is Charlotte Overselling Plan to Expand Transit?

Even if voters approve a new one-cent transit sales tax, will Charlotte be able to deliver on its promise of two new commuter rail lines and a new bus rapid transit line?

June 3, 2024 - WFAE 90.7

Green painted bike and pedestrian trail with view of San Francisco Bay.

California Legislature Issues Revised Budget Proposal

The new plan rejects some of Gov. Newsom’s proposed cuts to active transportation funding.

June 2, 2024 - Streetsblog California

 The west tunnel entrance to the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant in March 2020 with O and A letters missing in Oceanside.

San Francisco Takes on EPA in Supreme Court Case

The Court has agreed to hear an appeal challenging federal water pollution regulations.

May 30, 2024 - San Francisco Chronicle

Glass dome at front of modern San Jose City Hall building in San Jose, California.

San Jose Tests AI Translation Tool to Improve Access to Public Meetings

More than half of the city’s population speaks a language other than English at home, making translation services a key pillar of accessibility.

May 22, 2024 - GovTech

A city council meeting.

Is 'Hacking' a Planning Commission a Good Idea?

Does giving short shrift to grassroots tradition cut against the dynamics of community-based decision-making?

May 20, 2024 - Resurgence: A Journey via Substack

Aerial view of downtown New Orleans, Louisiana.

How New Orleans is Reaching Unhoused Residents

A new city office brings together resources to offer wrap-around services and housing to the most vulnerable residents.

May 17, 2024 - Governing

Two women on either side of reception desk talking to each other with row of computers between them.

How Tech Helps Cities Serve Residents More Effectively

Explore tech solutions enhancing urban service delivery, fostering better citizen engagement and efficiency in municipal operations.

May 16, 2024 - Devin Partida

California State Capital

California Halts Three Years of Population Loss

The Golden State grew by 67,000 people, or 0.17%, last year, to just over 39.1 million on Jan. 1, 2024, according to a demographic report released April 30 by the California Department of Finance.

May 16, 2024 - California Department of Finance

Aerial view of Fort Martin coal power plant near Morgantown, West Virginia.

Red States Challenge Biden Rules That Threaten Coal Power Plants

The publication in the Federal Register on May 9 of the Environmental Protection Agency's New Source Performance Standards for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from new power plants triggered the filing of 25 lawsuits from Republican-led states.

May 14, 2024 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Close-up of express lane marker on Bay Area freeway.

Congestion Pricing in the San Francisco Bay Area

Planners call them “express lanes,” but make no mistake, they are congestion pricing in action, and they're successful. The Bay Area network of what the Federal Highway Administration calls “high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes” is growing.

May 12, 2024 - San Francisco Chronicle

Seattle

A Cutting-Edge Planning Hackathon in Seattle

In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe covers an atypical urban planning and policy gathering called an “Urban Resilience Hackathon,” which was held at the University of Washington in Seattle late last month. For a day, the event showcased collaborative problem solving and innovative thinking in addressing urban challenges.

May 6, 2024 - GeekWire

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.