Trump Administration

Governor of Wisconsin

Another EPA Rollback, Tailor-Made for Gov. Walker and Southeast Wisconsin

Politics and economics win over public health in Racine County as the EPA exempted the area around the Foxconn's massive facility from meeting stricter ozone pollution standards, saving the company from investing in smog-reducing equipment.

May 5, 2018 - Chicago Tribune

Tailpipe

California and 16 States Sue EPA Over Decision to Rollback Vehicle Emissions Rule

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt had announced the rollback of greenhouse gas emission and fuel economy standards on April 2. While the auto industry supports the move, not all auto executives agreed.

May 3, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Oil Rigs

Global Reverberations from EPA Rollback of Fuel Economy Standards

Relaxed U.S. fuel economy standards, as Environmental Protection Administration chief Scott Pruitt announced on April 2, would have effects extending far beyond the United States.

April 27, 2018 - The New York Times

Open Space

'Unprecedented' Sale of Public Land Concerns 'Even Some Republicans'

As the Department of the Interior auctions off 'vast swaths' of American wilderness to oil and gas companies, fiscal conservatives and conservationists alike wonder if it’s the right thing at the right time.

April 24, 2018 - Houston Chronicle

Sonny Perdue

Under Zinke, Land in Montana Is Still Somehow Protected

Though he’s opened land all over the U.S. to industry, the Interior Secretary is actually pushing to conserve even more of his home state.

April 24, 2018 - The New York Times

Big Bend National Park

2018's Most Endangered Rivers

The American Rivers advocacy organization this week released their annual list of most endangered rivers in the United States.

April 11, 2018 - American Rivers

Donald Trump

Cabinet Secretaries Sign Pledge to Speed Up Permitting and Approvals

A key part of the Trump Administration's infrastructure plan, dormant as it is, is to speed up permitting.

April 10, 2018 - The Washington Post

Architect of Trump Infrastructure Plan Resigns

Among the many departures of the Trump administration, one name hasn't made major headlines: DJ Gribbin, a former Macquarie Capital Group executive and general counsel for the U.S. Department of Transportation serving President George W. Bush.

April 6, 2018 - NPR: The Two-Way

Volunteers

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.

April 5, 2018 - Bloomberg

Rural Traffic

Rollback of Fuel Efficiency Standards Announced by EPA

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced Monday that his agency is siding with auto manufacturers and relaxing greenhouse gas emission standards for new cars and light trucks.

April 3, 2018 - Bloomberg Politics

HUD

Amid Turmoil, HUD Relaxes Fair Housing Enforcement

The department's activities, or lack thereof, under the Trump administration have caused housing advocates a lot of consternation. Under Ben Carson, is HUD abandoning its fair housing mission?

April 3, 2018 - The New York Times

Bicyclists White House

Trump's 2020 Budget Includes a New 'Planning and Vision Implementation' Agency

The centerpiece of the Trump Administration's draft budget outline for 2020 is the creation of a new Cabinet-level department tasked with solving the nation's planning and infrastructure challenges.

April 1, 2018 - Planetizen April 1st Edition

Campaign Rally

$1.3 Trillion Federal Spending Bill Approved—Good News for Transit and Community Development Programs

It was touch and go there for a little bit today, but in the end President Trump signed a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill that spares many transit and community development programs.

March 23, 2018 - Associated Press via CBS News

Trump Adminsitration

A Realistic Approach Needed With Programs like HUD's New EnVision Centers

Secretary Ben Carson's vision for the Department of Housing and Urban Development focuses on a new workforce development program called EnVision Centers.

March 22, 2018 - Urban Institute

Biosolids Treatment Plant

The Sorry State of Environmental Enforcement in Texas

Industry is "routinely violating" clean water laws, but both state and federal regulators seem to be looking the other way.

March 20, 2018 - The Texas Observer

Flood Damaged Suburb

FEMA Strikes the Words 'Climate Change' From its Strategic Plan

Coming off a year of historically catastrophic extreme weather, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has decided to avoid using the "double C word."

March 20, 2018 - Vox

Hate Groups in the U.S. Are Both 'Concentrated and Considerably Spread Out'

A new study shows that these groups exist in around 10 percent of counties, and those counties are scattered across all 50 states.

March 19, 2018 - CityLab

EPA Loses Court Ruling After Failing to Identify Smog Nonattainment Regions

As a result of a federal court ruling on March 12, the Environmental Protection Administration will be compelled to do what it should have done by October 1: Identify regions of the country where the air quality violates smog standards.

March 18, 2018 - CALmatters

Shasta Lake

Why Are the Feds Suddenly in Favor of Raising the Shasta Dam?

Despite state opposition and potential violations of California law, the Trump Administration has revived a project that was deemed impracticable only a few years ago.

March 18, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Congress Asks that USGS Nominee 'Protect the Scientists'

After recent resignations, there's a new part of the job description: "maintain a sort of firewall between their scientific work and any political agendas."

March 16, 2018 - Pacific Standard

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.