Government / Politics

The State of Public Meetings
Dating back to a tradition begun in the 1630s, public meetings are an essential part of the political systems, and planning processes, of U.S. cities. Public meetings are also broken, according to this article.

Top Planning Issues for State Legislatures
The American Planning Association identifies three issues that will define the year in state legislatures around the country.

Debating Improvements to the Community Reinvestment Act
The Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 was the final of a suite of federal laws aimed at fighting racial segregation in housing. Congress is beginning to consider how best to modernize the act to meet the challenges of contemporary times.

Trump's State of the Union: More on Infrastructure in Democrats' Response
The president spoke briefly about infrastructure in his third State of the Union address last Tuesday, urging Congress to pass the bipartisan America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act of 2019. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had a lot more to say.

Presidential Candidates Discuss the California Housing Crisis
Many of the Democratic candidates have offered housing policy plans as a key plank in their election platforms, but here a prominent YIMBY politician confronts them directly on the housing crisis in California.

The Winners and Losers of Atlanta’s Transformation
The city has reinvented itself in many ways, but its residents are not reaping those benefits equally.

Southern States Lagging in Addressing Climate Change
Cities in the South are facing a multitude of climate change impacts, but many have been slow to respond to the growing threats.

Opinion: N.Y.C. Neighborhood Rezoning Displaces Vulnerable Residents
Rezoning has resulted in the loss of affordable housing in areas like the South Bronx, and any proposals need to consider the long-term racial equity impacts, according to a recent report by Churches United for Fair Housing.

Sound Transit's Stride BRT to Bring Additional Time Savings
An expansion of Interstate 405 in the Seattle region will include bus rapid transit stations that will allow vehicles to travel even faster along the new transit corridor.

Tax on High Earners Proposed to Fund Homeless Services in Seattle's King County
The Washington State Legislature is proposing a type of tax that the city of Seattle tried, and failed, to implement a few years go.

Bike-Friendly City in Indiana is Known for Plentiful Roundabouts
Indiana's fifth-largest city, of just under 100,000, residents has 120 roundabouts, more than any city in the U.S., and only 14 traffic lights. The average traffic fatality rate is 83 percent lower than the national average.

GM's Electric Vehicle Future Arrives Early in Detroit-Hamtramck
GM's first non-internal combustion engine vehicle assembly plant will be in the form of 35-year-old plant straddling the Detroit-Hamtramck border thanks in part to a $2.27 billion state tax credit. Electric pickups, SUVs, and AVs will be produced.

Democrats Reveal a $760 Billion Transportation Framework
Congressional Democrats hope transportation infrastructure can be a winning political point during a campaign year following the impeachment of President Donald Trump.

Opinion: Wealthy Residents Are Opposing Brooklyn Development to Protect Their Own Interests
Residents are arguing that a Williamsburg development would negatively affect the neighborhood. But it’s a grassroots effort to protect the status quo in a neighborhood where gentrification benefited them.

Charting a Better Transportation Future for Washington State
The state gas tax cannot provide the funding that Washington needs for its transportation system, according to a recent opinion piece published by the Seattle Times. But state legislators can look to bold, progressive revenue options for the future.

Increased Property Taxes for Short-Term Rentals Under Consideration in Colorado
The idea of taxing rental homes at a commercial rate is likely to be a hot button in Colorado.

Housing Litigation by California Attorney General Yields Results
A landmark state lawsuit will be settled if the Huntington Beach City Council approves an amended specific plan that increases housing. The lawsuit was enabled by 2017 legislation strengthening California's 50-year-old housing element law.

Census Information for Rental Property Owners
There are a number of obstacles and issues related to the 2020 Census enumeration of apartment building residents. This set of FAQs covers “Census Information for Rental Property Owners.”

Opinion: L.A. Metro Bus Plan Must Put Riders First
A bold proposal to overhaul the region’s bus system will require leaders and government officials who will commit to putting the needs of riders front and center.

Montreal Vacancies Leave Commercial Corridors Struggling
Areas like St-Denis Street used to be bustling shopping destinations, but a shift in recent years has resulted in many empty storefronts.
Pagination
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