Government / Politics

CTA Chicago

Making Climate Change a Priority for Transportation Planning

The threat of climate change has not guided transportation planning in Chicago, and the city and region could be doing much more to promote sustainable transportation, according to the article.

December 15, 2019 - Streetsblog Chicago

North Carolina State Capital

New Mayor in Raleigh Calls for an Affordable Housing 'Moon Shot'

There's a necessity for Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin's affordable housing ambition: average rents are rising faster than the national average in the North Carolina city.

December 15, 2019 - The Raleigh News & Observer

Electric Car Charging Stencil

California Climate Program Offers Up to $9,500 Toward Purchase of Used EVs

Lawmakers want to ensure that electric vehicles are accessible to all Californians, particularly lower-income motorists in disadvantaged communities. Unlike other incentive programs, participants must also scrap an older, polluting vehicle.

December 14, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

de Blasio Administration

Homeless Housing Requirement Threatened by New York Politics

A bill that would require all developments financed by the New York Department of Housing Preservation and Development to include housing for the homeless is unpopular in the office of Mayor Bill de Blasio.

December 12, 2019 - New York Daily News

California State Water Project

New Oil and Gas Drilling in California May Be Subject to Moratorium

Gov. Gavin Newsom pleased environmentalists by doing what his predecessor, Gov. Jerry Brown, refused – halting all new oil and gas fracking and placing a moratorium on another extraction method linked to a massive oil spill in Kern County.

December 9, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Homeless Seattle

Supreme Court Could Decide on Homeless Public Sleeping

The Supreme Court will be considering for the first time whether the Constitution gives homeless people a right to sleep on the sidewalk.

December 9, 2019 - Idaho Statesman

We Build the Wall

Judge Shuts Down Right Wing Group's Extra-Governmental Border Wall Construction

Concerns about the impact on a nearby butterfly preserve, a judge in Texas finally shutdown private construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

December 5, 2019 - The Washington Post

Seattle View

Judge Puts Washington's Transportation-Busting Initiative on Hold

Washington state voters expecting to see their vehicle registration fees drop to $30 on Thursday due to the passage of Initiative 976 on Nov. 5 might have to wait much longer after a King County Superior Court judge put the measure on hold.

December 3, 2019 - The Seattle Times

Seattle Aquarium

Seattle Raising Taxes on Uber and Lyft Rides

A new 57-cent tax will help fund affordable housing and a few transportation programs in Seattle.

December 2, 2019 - The Seattle Times

Pedestrian Signal

Where Enforcement of Jaywalking Equals Criminalization of Homelessness

Records in Salt Lake City show that police in Salt Lake City concentrate jaywalking enforcement in the corner of the city that houses most of the city's homeless services.

December 2, 2019 - The Salt Lake City Tribune

Tide Light Rail

A New Transit Vision for Norfolk

Transit ridership in Norfolk, Virginia, has been lagging, and the city hopes that changes to the bus and rail systems will turn things around.

December 1, 2019 - Greater Greater Washington

Wisconsin Capitol

Madison Common Council Narrowly Approves Unpopular $40 Wheel Tax

Despite major opposition by residents, the Madison Common Council approved a $40 motor vehicle registration fee (aka 'wheel tax') on an 11-8 vote on Oct. 29 to help fund the city's new East-West Bus Rapid Transit system.

November 29, 2019 - Wisconsin State Journal

Airport

Arizona Mayors Want to Stay in the Paris Climate Agreement

The mayors of Tucson and Phoenix want Congress to block President Donald Trump from removing the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement.

November 27, 2019 - Arizona Public Media

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao

Evaluating Donald Trump's Transportation Efforts

MSNBC asks if the Trump administration has accomplished with its Department of Transportation, and whether Americans are better off because of those efforts.

November 27, 2019 - MSNBC

Society Hill Historic Buildings

How One Wealthy, Historic Neighborhood Maintains an Exclusionary Status Quo

Philadelphia Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron has had enough with the exclusionary planning tactics of the neighborhood of Society Hill to start calling it the "Republic of Society Hill."

November 27, 2019 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Dollar Store

In Tulsa, Pushing Back on the Dollar Store Incursion

Restrictions in North Tulsa are part of a backlash against the dollar stores flooding communities that are food deserts in need of real grocery stores.

November 23, 2019 - The New York Times

Smart City

Pulling Back the Curtain on the Smart City

Technology is infiltrating every aspect of our lives, but, according to this article, we shouldn't underestimate the nefarious role it plays in urban spaces.

November 22, 2019 - Real Life

The Transit Agency formerly known as the Nashville MTA

Nashville Loses Out on Federal Transit Grant, Adding to Agency's Budget Woes

WeGo Public Transit did not receive a grant to build a transit center, and transit advocates say it’s a sobering setback in light of the agency’s other budget challenges.

November 22, 2019 - News Channel 5 Nashville

Huandao Road

China's Global Power Play

China's Belt and Road Initiative, a massive program to develop infrastructure in dozens of countries worldwide, may be the largest construction project in history. Its benefits to host countries—and to China itself—remain far from certain.

November 22, 2019 - The Architect's Newspaper

Capitol

Friday Funny: A Font Made From the Maps of Congressional Districts

Meet the Ugly Gerry font.

November 22, 2019 - The Week

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.