Government / Politics

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

California Legislature Issues Revised Budget Proposal
The new plan rejects some of Gov. Newsom’s proposed cuts to active transportation funding.

San Francisco Takes on EPA in Supreme Court Case
The Court has agreed to hear an appeal challenging federal water pollution regulations.

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.

Is 'Hacking' a Planning Commission a Good Idea?
Does giving short shrift to grassroots tradition cut against the dynamics of community-based decision-making?

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.

How Tech Helps Cities Serve Residents More Effectively
Explore tech solutions enhancing urban service delivery, fostering better citizen engagement and efficiency in municipal operations.

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.

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.

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.

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.
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