Government / Politics

Mansion

In U.S., Income Growth Dispersing to More Places

The country’s economic pie is sliced up differently now as growth in metropolitan areas involves either income or population increases—but not both.

March 9, 2020 - The New York Times

Red Light Camera

Dallas Feels Impacts of Red-Light Camera Ban

Last year’s state ban ended a 13-year red-light enforcement program in Dallas. City officials say that intersections throughout the city are less safe without the cameras.

March 9, 2020 - The Dallas Morning News

Presidential Campaign

Comparing the Housing Agendas of the Remaining Democratic Frontrunners for President

A deep dive into the statements on official housing policies of Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders in an era of intense housing anxieties.

March 9, 2020 - Curbed

kent, Washington

Dispute Over Siting of Coronavirus Quarantine Facility in Washington State

The Seattle area is ground zero for the coronavirus in the U.S., where 10 of the 11 deaths as of March 5 have occurred. King County's decision to purchase a motel in Kent for use as a quarantine facility is being met with protests by city officials.

March 8, 2020 - The Seattle Times

Newport, Rhode Island

Public Supports East Coast Climate Pact—More Than Governors

Public comments were largely favorable regarding the 12-state program intended to reduce transportation emissions by using a cap-and-invest system, but governors are cautious due to an expected effect on gas prices.

March 6, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Gas Station

Alaska Fuel Tax Hike Passes First Key Hurdle

A GOP bill to double the nation's lowest state gas tax was approved by the state Senate on Monday. If approved by the House and signed by Gov. Dunleavy, who is facing a possible recall election, the excise tax would jump to 16 cents-per-gallon.

March 5, 2020 - Anchorage Daily News

Super Tuesday 2020

Super Tuesday Results for Planning and Land Use Votes

Super Tuesday wan't just for presidential primaries: numerous local elections decided the future of land use policy in the largest state in the nation, while Oklahoma City weighed in on planning-related issues as well.

March 4, 2020 - James Brasuell

Epdemiology

NIMBY Politics Sway the Fight to Contain Coronavirus

A week after the Orange County city of Costa Mesa filed a restraining order against the federal government and the state of California over the use of a state-owned facility as an isolation site for coronavirus patients, the feds dropped the plan.

March 4, 2020 - Daily Pilot (Los Angeles Times)

Tropic, Utah

Utah Officials Want to Replace the State Gas Tax

The state auditor and the transportation chief argue that the gas tax is an unsustainable funding source caused by a projected increase in electric vehicle adoption and an increase in fuel efficiency of gas-powered vehicles.

March 3, 2020 - The Salt Lake Tribune

Coastal Flooding

Federal Law Would Help Build Infrastructure to Weather Climate Change

A bi-partisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate would inform better information sharing between federal agencies and local code-making powers to ensure more resilient infrastructure.

March 3, 2020 - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin)

Hearst Tower Norman Foster

The Long, Tough Road for Property Tax Reform in New York City

Landlords and the NAACP agree on the need for property tax reform in New York City, but it took a lawsuit to get the city moving on reform, and the state is still dragging its feet.

March 3, 2020 - The New York Times

Arch Rock Beach

Déjà Vu: Republican Legislators Flee From Capitol to Stall Climate Bill

Republican state lawmakers repeated a tactic they successfully deployed last summer to prevent the passage of a bill that would have made Oregon the second state, after California, to place a price on carbon emissions from most economic sectors.

March 2, 2020 - The Washington Post

San Francisco, California

Latest San Francisco Bike Battlefront: Valencia Street

With most private auto traffic banned on Market Street in downtown, a battle is brewing in the Mission District between Valencia Street merchants, led by a bike store owner, and cyclists who support converting a bike lane into a cycletrack.

February 27, 2020 - San Francisco Chronicle

California Sprawl

California's Piecemeal Progress on Housing Production

California Assemblymember Richard Bloom and Tara Barauskas dive into the barriers to affordable housing in California and whether recent legislation streamlining local planning, zoning, and permitting processes.

February 27, 2020 - The Planning Report

Security Camera

New Orleans 'Smart City' Program Would Install Video Cameras in Public

The video cameras would be used to collect data on street light outages, but could also potentially used by police in the city's crime surveillance program.

February 27, 2020 - The Lens

Cupertino, California

Controversial Development Site in Cupertino Compounds Legal Controversy

The city of Cupertino rezoned a controversial development site in case a judge tosses the developer's current plan for the site. Now the developer is suing, accusing the city of an illegal taking.

February 26, 2020 - The Mercury News

The Peninsula

New Housing Law Quickly Enacted in Bay Area

A four-month-old California housing law that applies only to 100% affordable housing near transit has dramatically changed a housing proposal in an affluent Peninsula city, though it is too soon to say if the additional two-stories will be approved.

February 26, 2020 - San Mateo Daily Journal

Seattle Neighborhood

The Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda Era Concludes in Seattle

Before YIMBY was a household word and before Minneapolis ended single-family zoning, Seattle's Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA) broke the planning status quo.

February 26, 2020 - Sightline Institute

Denver

Climate Agency Opens Shop in Denver

A high-profile appointment highlights the launch of Denver's new Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency.

February 26, 2020 - Colorado Community Media

Brutalism

Bribery Scandal Leads to Zoning Board Reforms in Boston

The planning approvals process took a black eye in Boston last year, when a bribery scandal sent a Boston Planning and Development Agency staffer to jail.

February 25, 2020 - The Boston Globe

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.