Corruption

House Natural Resources Committee Reveals Bribes in Trump’s Interior Department
Evidence of a 2017 quid pro quo for development permits connected to a massive master planned community proposed in the Arizona desert led the House Natural Resources Committee to take unprecedented action in 2022.

Corruption Case and a Call for Reform: Aldermanic Privilege Under Scrutiny in Chicago
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is once again pushing to eliminate aldermanic privilege after a federal racketeering case ensnarled local and state elected officials.

Cincinnati Ends Political Contributions by Developers in Response to Corruption Spree
Corruption is a common companion to the development approvals process—Cincinnati is no exception. But Cincinnati is attempting a new approach to conflicts of interest.

Op-Ed: It’s Long Past Time for Planning Reform in L.A.
Another corruption scandal involving a Los Angeles city councilmember highlights the urgent need for major planning changes in the city.

Las Vegas Golf Course With a History of Development Controversy Cleared for Houses
A golf course formerly owned by "legendary sports bettor-turned-convicted insider trader" Billy Walters finally has the residential zoning that created so much controversy in the past.

Has The Moment Arrived To End Political Interference in L.A. City's Land Use Decisions?
Writing under the nom de plume of the ghost of Ed Logue, an L.A.-based land use professional offers this modest proposal for eliminating political interference and campaign cash from L.A. city planning.

Keeping Bees Away from Honey? Corruption Cases Expose Flaws in L.A. City’s Land Entitlement Process
Three former Los Angeles public officials share their collective perspective on how best to reform the city of Los Angeles' corrupted land use approval process.

L.A. Officials Wrestle With Future of Projects Approved in Corruption Case
Some high-profile projects, including a 77-story tower, hang in the balance of a federal corruption case, but it's unclear whether Los Angeles can undo the approvals, whether they were achieved through bribes or not.

Ohio House Speaker Arrested on Bribery Charges Connected to $1 Billion Nuclear Industry Bailout
A bombshell in Ohio, as the FBI arrested Republican Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four colleagues on bribery charges connected with a $1 billion bailout for the state's nuclear industry.

More City Councilmembers Arrested on Corruption Charges—This Time in Toledo
Four members of the Toledo City Council were arrested this week, accused of accepting bribes and extortion. The arrests follow similar events in Los Angeles earlier this month.

L.A. City Councilmember Arrested, to Face Charges in Development Corruption Scheme
Longtime City Councilmember Jose Huizar was arrested at his home in Boyle Heights this morning, in the latest signal of a culture of corruption at Los Angeles City Hall.

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.

Concrete’s Contribution to the Rise and Decline of Civilization
As the world becomes more encased in concrete, the detrimental effects of its widespread use are increasing in scale and severity.

Corruption Investigations Sullies L.A.'s Downtown Development Success Story
Bombshell revelations about an FBI investigation into corruption and conspiracy in Los Angeles City Hall made the news recently. At the center of the story is development financing from Chinese companies.

L.A. Developer Caught Making Illegal Campaign Donations
Developer Samuel Leung is facing shocking counts of conspiracy, money laundering, and bribery.

Accusations of Patronage, Incompetence at NJ Transit
A fired employee of NJ Transit has raised some alarming allegations as he departs the agency—going so far as to say he wouldn't ride the system.

Bridgegate Implications for New Jersey and Beyond
In The New York Times Sunday Review, Matt Katz, a political reporter for WNYC and New Jersey Public Radio, gives an update on the federal trial for 'Bridgegate' and also paints a bleak picture for New Jersey, and maybe the United States.

Corruption Charges Sully Economic Development Scheme in Upstate New York
Though he was elected while promising to clean up corruption in the state government, recent corruption charges are hitting New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's inner circle.
Corruption Investigation Rocks San Francisco City Hall
Corruption charges tainted the San Francisco political ranks this week, with implications of corruption and bribery in the land use and construction process, among other charges, reaching the Mayor's Office and many others.
How Corruption Determines Budgets
Liz Farmer and Kevin Tidmarsh share news of a study in the Public Administration Review finding that higher instances of corruption correlate with more spending in the policy areas more likely to line the pockets of corrupt officials.
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research