Federal Government
Office Vacancies at Federal Agencies as High as 75 Percent
Many federal agencies are sitting on underutilized buildings, causing a congressional committee to call into question the need for so much real estate.
Report Makes 'The Case for Social Housing'
The economic disruption of the pandemic has strengthened public support—even among Republicans—for an ambitious social housing program at the federal level, according to the findings of a recent report.
Infrastructure Policy Reform, From the Ground Up
Brookings provides a manifesto, of sorts, to suggest an entirely new path forward on infrastructure policy.
How the Green New Deal Could Transform the Built Environment
If it emulated and adapted the scope of its predecessor, the Green New Deal could transform the country in fundamental ways, with builders, planners, and architects playing central roles.
How Much Influence Can the Federal Government Have on the Housing Crisis?
A couple of questions are fundamental to the debate about the housing affordability crisis.
Democrats Make Peace With Trump for the Sake of a $2 Trillion Infrastructure Plan
Details about what the federal infrastructure plan would spend money, or where it would get the money to spend, have yet to be revealed.
Opinion: Even the Green New Deal Repeats the Same Old Sprawling Mistakes
With infrastructure and housing prices in the national discussion more than ever before, the federal government still doesn't seem ready to really change its ways.
Let's Hope Trump Considers Infrastructure a National Security Issue Too
Maybe, just maybe, Trump might also be willing to consider the decaying condition of U.S. infrastructure a matter of national security. And if Congress played along, perhaps we'd get a 2019 Infrastructure bill. That's how Eisenhower did it.
Year in Review: The APA's Advocacy Work in Washington, D.C.
The APA noted that the 115th Congress was "marked by divisive rhetoric, partisan stalemates, and threats to programs on which local communities rely." At the end of the year, however, it could still celebrate substantial victories.
Plans for Immigrant 'Detention Centers' Revealed at Military Sites Around the U.S.
Plans for temporary facilities designed to house between 25,000 to 45,000 people have been revealed by Time Magazine. Sites in Alabama, Arizona, California,
When Coastal States Kill Building Codes, FEMA Pays
Despite the increasing number and intensity of natural disasters, some vulnerable states are relaxing building regulations and leaving the federal government to pick up the tab when tragedy strikes again.
Army Corps: Climate Change Could Devastate Ohio River Region
The agency's report shows that inland-dwellers are just as likely as coastal types to be deeply affected by climate change.
More Bad News From the U.S. Census: Economic Census Delayed Six Months
A budget shortfall for Census 2020 has already claimed one victim: the timely delivery of the five-year Economic Census.
Making the Most of the Federal Government's Vast Portfolio of Commercial Properties
As the largest commercial property holder int he United States, the federal government's development plans can contribute to the economic and cultural success of communities.
One Way Washington Could Move Forward on Infrastructure
The WIFIA federal loans program provides start-up capital to local water infrastructure projects. The program is designed to encourage experimentation and cost-effective construction strategies.
Malign Neglect? Urban Policy in the Trump Era
How much do we have to fear from the president-elect's policy plans for urban America? We can hope that he will follow his party's playbook and largely ignore the cities, but potential changes to housing policy are more serious.
Federal Agencies to Consider Climate Impacts
A new policy from the Obama Administration asks government to calculate, and attempt to lower, their carbon emissions.
Op-Ed: Investing in Cities Could Cure 'Short-Termism'
Bruce Katz argues that federal investment in urban areas fosters a public/private ecosystem that can prioritize long-term thinking, minimizing the "short-termism" endemic to corporations and governments acting alone.
Canada Is Looking Better and Better
Alan Mallach unpacks a remarkable project currently underway in Toronto, suggesting that sometimes higher, rather than lower, density may be the best way to go.
A New 'Federalist Roadmap' to Let Cities Lead the Nation
Bruce Katz has an idea: "A year out from next year’s presidential election, let’s dispel the pervasive myth that the federal government runs the country."
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
