Trump Administration

Power Plants

The New World Leader in the Fight Against Climate Change

With the Trump administration's abdication of its predecessor's position on fighting climate change, a void has been left in global climate change leadership. One expert believes that China may have already filled the leadership role.

February 8, 2019 - PBS NewsHour

New York City

State of the Union: Infrastructure Week Is Finally Over

Infrastructure went from playing a major role in the State of the Union address a year ago. This year infrastructure warranted barely even a nod—about 62 words, in fact.

February 6, 2019 - James Brasuell

Air Pollution

EPA Enforcement Activities Hit 30-Year Low

Under the Trump administration, criminal prosecution of polluters is an historically rare activity.

January 21, 2019 - Associated Press

Sea Level

Defense Department Calls Climate Change a National Security Threat

The new “Report on Effects of a Changing Climate to the Department of Defense” isn't the environmental win that it could be.

January 21, 2019 - Vox

Border Wall

Property Rights Battle Expected Along Trump's Border Wall

Property acquisition in Texas won't come easy.

January 17, 2019 - The Washington Post

BART Station Construction

Effects of Federal Shutdown Only Beginning to Show at Local and State Transportation Agencies

Effects of the partial shutdown of the federal government differ between state highway departments and local transit agencies. Some effects aren't yet apparent, but could be soon.

January 16, 2019 - Governing

U.S. Census Bureau

Breaking News: Court Blocks Citizenship Question on 2020 Census

A federal judge's decision accuses U.S. Commerce Secretary of playing politics with the U.S. Census.

January 15, 2019 - AP News

California Central Valley

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.

January 14, 2019 - Robert Fischer

Washington, D.C.

Federal Shutdown Threatens Rental Assistance Program

The ongoing shutdown of the federal government could begin to have terrible consequences for some of the nation's most vulnerable populations.

January 13, 2019 - NBC

Campaign Rally

Sources: Trump Administration Considering an Attack on Disparate Impact

The Supreme Court upheld the disparate impact doctrine at the heart of fair housing rules, along with many other anti-discrimination policies, in 2015. Still, the Trump administration is looking for ways to undermine disparate impact.

January 9, 2019 - The Washington Post

U.S. Census Bureau

Census Bureau Finally Has a New Director

The U.S. Census Bureau had been without an approved director since May 2017. The Senate unanimously approved Steven Dillingham to the position with about a year to spare before the 2020 Census begins.

January 8, 2019 - NPR

National Parks

Opinion: Close National Parks During the Shutdown

The consequences of allowing the public free access to national parks without any supervision or maintenance operations are to great a risk, according to a former director of the National Park Service.

January 7, 2019 - The Guardian

Global warming and pollution

EPA Targets Co-Benefits in Rulemaking—Public Health to Suffer

The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a critical change in the cost-benefit analysis used in the mercury rule that applies to coal-fired power plants. By eliminating the principle of co-benefits, public health impacts would be severe.

January 3, 2019 - The Washington Post

Electric Cars

Electric Vehicle Incentives: A Tale of Two Countries

While Trump wants to end the EV credit program, in part to punish GM for closing unprofitable car manufacturing plants, Norway is scaling back the generous perks that have enabled EV sales to comprise almost half on new auto sales.

December 30, 2018 - CityLab

Environmental Justice

The Environmental and Public Health Toll of the Trump Administration

A bombshell series of stories details the environmental and health costs of many fo the Trump administration's industry friendly regulatory decisions.

December 27, 2018 - The New York Times

U.S. Department of the Interior

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke Resigns Amid Scandals

With a tweet from the president on Saturday morning, the public learns that yet another embattled cabinet member will lose his job. Zinke, a former congressman from Montana, is the subject of numerous investigations and controversies.

December 17, 2018 - The New York Times

Bay Area Wetlands

EPA and Army Corps of Engineers Propose Revision of Wetlands Definition

Fulfilling a promise he made as a candidate, the Trump administration proposed a redefinition of what is classified as a wetland, with the result being the loss of federal protection of millions of acres of waterways and wetlands.

December 14, 2018 - NPR

President of the United States

Trump Administration Gives 'Opportunity Zones' a Push Forward

A new controversy about the Trump family's potential to profit from Trump administration policies emerged the same week as news that an executive order was forming a White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council.

December 12, 2018 - The New York Times

Invasive Species

Price Triples for Keeping Asian Carp Out of Lake Michigan

It's been expensive year for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' efforts to prevent environmental catastrophe in Lake Michigan.

December 1, 2018 - Associated Press via Chicago Tribune

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Tardy Transit Funding Arrives in Los Angeles, Twin Cities

They had to wait the better part of a year, but two major transit projects finally have the funding Congress allocated in March.

November 29, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

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.