Presidential Campaign

Gen Z Says Housing Affordability Is Top Issue in November Election
As mortgages remain out of reach and rents unaffordable, particularly for younger generations, housing affordability could be a deciding factor at the ballot box.

Biden's New Climate Plan Would Spend $2 Trillion in Four Years
Biden is amping up his campaign promises to leverage the federal government in the fight to reduce greenhouse emissions in the U.S. economy.

Evaluating the Transportation Plans of Each Presidential Candidate (Including the Incumbent)
Transportation seems like an afterthought on the campaign trail, but Transportation for America is shining light on the issue by providing an evaluation of each campaign's transportation plan.

Study: Historical Redlining Maps No Longer a Proxy for Black America
Black Americans have moved on from formerly redlined neighborhoods, and other minorities and whites have moved in. The wave of presidential campaigns that have based housing policy proposals on redlining maps might be misguided as a result.

Town Hall Spotlights Democrats' Climate Change Proposals
Critics of the earliest Democratic candidate debates have noted a conspicuous lack of substantive and concentrated discussion on one of the great existential threats of the era: climate change. Neglect of the subject could change soon.

The Star-Studded Discussion of the National Housing Debate
Residential zoning has long been considered a local issue, but some presidential candidates have started weighing in on zoning and housing. Journalists, pundits, and researchers have plenty of complexity to examine as the debate changes venue.

Trump Campaign Proposes the End of Federal Climate Change Funding
The Trump Campaign released a policy statement this week that puts some skin in the game on the Republican candidate's climate change denials.

What the First Debate Taught About the Candidate's Positions on Cities
Urbanists and their ilk might have been disappointed in the first presidential debate's lack of focused attention to affordable housing, infrastructure, and other issues of importance to cities.
The Transportation Policy of Four Presidential Candidates
An article for Next City reveals the transportation policy platforms of Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders, asking the question of whether any of them will shift new support to public transit.
Advocating for Planning When Presidential Campaigns Come to Town
All eyes are on Iowa's caucuses today, but presidential campaigns will be touring communities all over the country for months. The APA wants planners to be ready to explain the importance of planning when such rare opportunities arise.
How Infrastructure Investment Became Political Fodder
Andrea Bernstein traces how, in four short years, partisan politics have infected discussions about investment in infrastructure.
The Frontier in American Politics
With due respect to Frederick Jackson Turner, the American frontier closes on Tuesday. This time, for good.
Fixing The Highway Trust Fund
Last week, transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters announced that the Highway Trust Fund will be empty by Oct. 1st. This editorial considers two possible options to fund transportation.
A Great Lakes President?
Presidential candidate Barack Obama has announced a $5 billion plan to restore the Great Lakes, funded by reductions in tax cuts for oil companies.
Cities Are Forgotten In Presidential Race
Urban issues and metropolitan policy are noticeably absent from the platforms of the three main presidential candidates.
Considering a Smart Growth President
It's often said that in America, urban development issues are decided at the local level. In general the rule of thumb is accurate, explaining a country home to cities as different in form as Houston, Texas and San Francisco, California. The notable exception to the rule is the country's interstate highway system, build with extensive involvement of the federal government. However, under closer inspection we can find a number of areas where federal funding and policies has a strong impact on urban development. A survey of what the leading presidential candidates are saying about urban policy suggests what priorities our next president may have.
Terrorism, Gay Marriage, and...Land Use(!)
This week Salon.com published a remarkable interview with a contender for the White House. The candidate didn't offer the solution to stabilizing Iraq, strengthening the economy, or bringing down the price of a six-pack (at least not directly), but for the first time in the history of American campaigning that I'm aware of, he referred to the issue of "land use."
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.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
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