In urban planning news this week were headlines on where 2024 presidential candidates stand on 12 issues most important to urban planners, housing, Amtrak’s service expansion in California, and more.
Here were the 10 most popular stories on Planetizen this week:
1. Where 2024 Presidential Candidates Stand on 12 Issues Important to Urban Planners
This blog was published prior to Election Day last Tuesday, but it is still a good place to start if you’re wondering what a Trump presidency could mean for urban planning in the U.S. over the next four years.
2. Commentary: How Can We Solve America’s Affordable Housing Crisis? CDFIs are the Key
Bernel Hall offers his perspective as president and CEO of the largest community development financial institution in New Jersey on how CDFIs can be important partners to ensure public-private efforts to build affordable housing pencil out.
3. America’s 10 ‘Greenest’ Cities
An analysis from Wallet Hub ranks cities based on their environmental quality, energy consumption and production, transportation, density, and other factors.
4. San Diego Begins to See Results of State Housing Law
A local news outlet reports that homeowners in Southern California are starting to take advantage of a state law that allows lot splitting and higher density in residential areas, which was passed to increase housing supply and affordability.
5. Amtrak Expanding Service in California’s Central Valley
Amtrak is planning a major expansion to the passenger rail lines connecting the Central Valley and the Bay Area, reports the Modesto Bee.
6. New Jersey Towns Call for Suspension of Affordable Housing Law
According to the Gothamist, close to two dozen municipalities are suing New Jersey, arguing that the affordable housing requirements mandated by the Mount Laurel Doctrine are unrealistic and discriminate against suburban communities.
7. How the Post-Covid Reality Is Reshaping Central Business Districts and Urban Centers
This feature story by Wes Guckert explores how U.S. cities are working to redefine their downtowns in response to the “donut effect”: people and businesses abandoning city centers and flocking to suburban areas and beyond.
8. Project 2025 and Housing Policy
Michael Lewyn weighed in on the Heritage Foundation’s list of policy proposals for the next Republican administration. In the wake of President-Elect Donald Trump’s win, readers appear to be brushing up on it.
9. Commentary: New Bill Holds Key to Solving US Housing Crisis. We Just Have to Pass It.
Architect Jordan Rogove gives context on how two bills currently moving through Congress could make mass production of prefabricated, affordable housing possible on a large scale.
10. It’s Now Legal to Jaywalk in New York City
CNN travel reports that, for the first time since 1958, pedestrians in New York City are free to cross the street without adhering to traffic signals or marked crosswalks.
What other urban planning news we’re reading (or watching):
- “Unfunded inclusionary zoning is not inclusionary. To fix it, fund it,” says Dan Bertolet . (Sightline Institute)
- Fully automated vehicles aren’t quite here yet, but lawmakers in Alabama, California, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Washington D.C. are getting proactive. (Stateline)
- A 2023 federal program that uses the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) and Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing (RRIF) programs to finance housing development near transportation has yet to close on any loan for housing projects. (GlobeSt)
- Nationwide’s 2024 Driving Behaviors Survey shows traffic deaths occur more frequently on a rural road versus a city street. (Farm Bureau)
- In this video, Wall Street Journal sat down with train manufacturer Alstom to explore what a perfected commuter train could look like. (The Wall Street Journal)
In case you missed it:
Planetizen’s latest YouTube video tells the story of the 57-year battle to stop trucks from decapitating people, which began with Jane Mansfield’s tragic death in 1967, the creation of the “Mansfield bar,” and ongoing fight to strengthen safety regulations to prevent underride crashes between large trucks and smaller vehicles.
Be sure to give it a like and subscribe to Planetizen’s YouTube channel for more great video content.
February Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month
Federal policy changes send shock waves through agencies at all levels of government as we continue to monitor the effects of the new administration’s slash-and-burn approach to government.
January Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month
How a tidal wave of potential changes at the federal level could throw many programs planners depend on into chaos, a roundup of last year’s zoning stories, and the continuing ripple effects of a landmark Supreme Court case.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Greening Oakland’s School Grounds
With help from community partners like the Trust for Public Land, Oakland Unified School District is turning barren, asphalt-covered schoolyards into vibrant, green spaces that support outdoor learning, play, and student well-being.
California Governor Suspends CEQA Reviews for Utilities in Fire Areas
Utility restoration efforts in areas affected by the January wildfires in Los Angeles will be exempt from environmental regulations to speed up the rebuilding of essential infrastructure.
Native American Communities Prepare to Lead on Environmental Stewardship
In the face of federal threats to public lands and conservation efforts, indigenous groups continue to model nature-centered conservation efforts.
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