Republicans and Democrats

Red "Vote Here" sign with white text and arrow pointing left on green lawn next to curb

The Crucial Role of Suburban Voters in the Midterms

Suburban voters were instrumental in preventing a 'red wave' on Election Day and on December 6 in the Georgia U.S. Senate runoff election, enabling the Democrats to win a 51st Senate seat.

December 25, 2022 - CNN

Energy, Carol Stream, IL

The Republican Energy and Climate Agenda

With many polls predicting a ‘red wave’ on Election Day, we take a look at the energy and climate agenda of the 118th Congress under Republican control.

November 6, 2022 - Politico

Array of solar panels in the foreground with palm trees and mountains in background, Death Valley, California

California’s Energy Emergency: Fodder for Democrats and Republicans

What are the lessons to be learned from California's 10-day power grid emergency this month? Democrats and Republicans in Congress have their own takeaways, and both may be right.

September 19, 2022 - E&E News

California State University, Los Angeles

Public Health Experts Question CDC Catchphrase, 'Pandemic of the Unvaccinated'

Five public health experts and a pollster take issue with calling the COVID crisis a 'pandemic of the unvaccinated,' suggesting it may be inappropriate, provocative, and not only ineffective but possibly counterproductive in increasing vaccinations.

September 9, 2021 - Associated Press

Electric Cars

American Jobs to Build Electric Vehicles Excludes Miners

Mining jobs needed to produce the metals for processing into battery parts used to build electric vehicles in America will not be developed in the U.S. but in Australia, Brazil and Canada, mainly to avoid battles with environmentalists.

June 2, 2021 - Reuters

Atlanta Park

The Blue Beltway

Ronald Brownstein, a senior editor at The Atlantic, coins a new political-geographic term in the wake of the Georgia U.S. Senate runoff elections to describe a shift in the political alignment of nearly all large metropolitan areas in the nation.

January 8, 2021 - The Atlantic

Arch Rock Beach

Déjà Vu: Republican Legislators Flee From Capitol to Stall Climate Bill

Republican state lawmakers repeated a tactic they successfully deployed last summer to prevent the passage of a bill that would have made Oregon the second state, after California, to place a price on carbon emissions from most economic sectors.

March 2, 2020 - The Washington Post

Virginia State Government

Election 2019: Changing Demographics Explain Democrats' Victory in Virginia

It's not suburbs vs. cities but inner vs. outer suburbs that determined the outcome of elections in Virginia last Tuesday that flipped the General Assembly from red to blue.

November 12, 2019 - The New York Times

Supreme Court

Cities Lost Political Power in that 'Other' Supreme Court Ruling Last Month

On June 27, the Supreme Court didn't just rule on the Census Bureau's citizenship question. It also decided that it wasn't their business to consider how congressional districts are drawn, which will likely reduce the influence of cities.

July 7, 2019 - The New York Times

U.S. Capital

Senate Votes 0–57 to Rebuff Green New Deal

Not one Democratic senator, including sponsor Ed Markey (Mass.), voted on Tuesday to support the resolution "recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal." Instead, most, but not all, Democrats voted "present."

March 27, 2019 - The Washington Post

Madison, Wisconsin

Wisconsin Republicans Unite to Support Road Tolling Over Gas Tax Hike

Assembly and Senate Republicans agree that the best way to fill the transportation funding gap is to add tolls to existing highways and bridges, yet they won't add toll infrastructure funding to the budget. A gas tax could be implemented immediately.

February 11, 2019 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Gasoline

California Gas Tax Supporters Get Good News from Latest Voter Survey

In a turnaround from prior voter surveys, a poll released Wednesday on November propositions found a slim majority of voters opposed to repealing the state's first legislative gas tax increase since 1989. Rent control opponents received good news too

September 29, 2018 - The Mercury News

Sacramento

The Greening of California's Republicans?

One finding from a new statewide survey, "Californians and the Environment," suggests that the environment is becoming a more bipartisan issue, but that finding is still subject to interpretation. What isn't is the top environmental issue: water.

July 29, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Red Light Camera

Legislation to Ban Traffic Cameras Creates Odd Political Alliances

Republicans and the American Civil Liberties Union back bills to ban red light and speed cameras in Iowa, while Democrats and law enforcement want to allow cities and counties to retain automated traffic-enforcement tools.

January 20, 2018 - Sioux City Journal

Methane

Congress Fails to Roll Back Obama-Era Methane Emissions Rule

Current events that have nothing to do with the environment but everything to do with politics might have caused the defeat of a bill to overturn an Obama-era rule designed to reduce methane emissions on federal lands.

May 12, 2017 - The Washington Post

Old Timey Ticky Tacky

Tuesday's Election May Hinge on the Changing Demographics of Suburbs

Today's suburbs have changed dramatically from a generation ago. Younger, more diverse, and more liberal, they are "trending more Democratic." The PBS News Hour explores this critical demographic shift five days before Election Day.

November 7, 2016 - PBS NewsHour

Louisville Bridge

The Critical Role of Down-Ballot Races in State Transportation Funding

The overwhelming majority of states that increased gas taxes last year were Republican-controlled. In states where the legislature is split, it's more difficult to approve transportation funding legislation. Down-ballot races may prove decisive.

October 26, 2016 - Governing

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.