Nebraska

Standing Sioux Tribe Wins Court Case on Dakota Access Pipeline
A federal judge ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers failed to fully comply with NEPA in allowing the controversial pipeline to cross under the Missouri River. The judge did not order Energy Transfers Partners to cease operations of the pipeline.
Nebraska Suburb's Population Estimates Still Catching Up to Census Changes
In 2015, the U.S. Census made some changes to its methodology for estimating city populations. The city of Ralston, a suburb of Omaha, provides a case study for the effect of the changes.

Flushing Drivers Out of the Bike Lane in Omaha
Activists use plungers to unclog streets for bikers, as tide of active transit flows unimpeded across America's planes.

Nebraska Lawmakers Hoping to Solve the State's Rural Housing Shortage
Communities across Nebraska report plenty of jobs to go around, but not enough housing for the workers to fulfill the demand.

President Trump Approves Construction of Keystone XL Pipeline from Alberta to Nebraska
Following through on a January executive action, President Trump announced Friday that he was approving the oil pipeline that his predecessor had rejected over a year ago. Oil is already flowing from Steele City, Nebraska to Gulf Coast refineries.

Billion-Dollar Mixed Use Project in Omaha Gets Preliminary Approvals
A large mixed-use development proposed as a 'gateway to western Omaha' has received approval from the city's planning board.

In Omaha, 'Reclaiming' Potholed Streets Means Unpaving Them
The euphemism refers to a cost-saving measure that's happening even in central districts, to the chagrin of residents. This reversion to gravel roads is one manifestation of a looming local infrastructure deficit.

New Year's Day State Gas Tax Increases, Decreases, and What Lies Ahead
Pennsylvania, the state that had the highest gas tax last year, saw the highest gas tax increase of 7.9 cents per gallon, the final increment of a 2013 law. Michigan's 7.3 cents tax increase, signed into law in 2015, is the second largest increase.
More Towns Mimicking New Orleans and Allowing Public Drinking
It used to be that only New Orleans and Las Vegas allowed people to carry a drink outdoors and imbibe in public. Now cities all over the country, mostly in traditionally conservative states, are loosening their laws.
EPA Awards Grant To Monitor Wetlands Using Unmanned Aircraft System
Community and Regional Planning Associate Professor Zhenghong Tang received an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant to explore the use of drones to monitor wetlands.

Wouldn't It be Nice if Legislators Were Rewarded for Voting to Increase the Gas Tax?
Surprisingly, legislators are rewarded for supporting new gas taxes: they get reelected, according to a new analysis by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association. What's more, they overwhelmingly hail from red states.

Omaha Stripped Away Pavement from Residential Streets, Controversy Ensues
Decades ago, developers installed sub-standard asphalt on residential streets in Omaha, with the understanding that residents, not the city, would maintain them.

Midwest Cities Preparing for the Water Management Challenges of Climate Change
Climate researchers are hoping to coordinate the efforts of Midwest cities toward creating plans and working toward more holistic approaches to climate change.
Five State Gas Tax Changes Tomorrow
On July 1, two states will increase gas taxes, one will decrease its tax, and two will be adjusted downwards per state legislation, according to Carl Davis, research director at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP).

Only Three Cities Pass the 'Trilemma' Test
Good jobs, affordable housing, and quality of life rarely come in a total package. In fact, according to new analysis from the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis, only three cities in the United States combine all three.

Welcome to a Changed Climate: It Even Floods When it's Sunny
A new report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration documents the increasing frequency of nuisance floods and "clear-sky flooding."

Governor Who Vetoed Gas Tax Increase Happy to Use New Revenue for Road Construction
Among the ten state legislatures, mostly Republican controlled, which passed gas tax increases last year, the one that stood out the most was Nebraska's because it had to override Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) veto of the six-cent gas tax hike bill.
TransCanada Hits the 'Pause Button' on Keystone XL Application
TransCanada, developer of the controversial 1,179-mile pipeline that would transport crude derived from oils sands in Alberta to Steele City, Nebraska, asked the State Department to hold-off processing its application for the seven-year-old project.

12 Maps to Explain the Midwest
Aaron Renn scours the Internet to find 12 maps that attempt to do the impossible: define the geographic and cultural expanse known as the American Midwest.
State Gas Tax Changes Effective July 1: Six Up; One Down
Carl Davis, Research Director of the Institute on Tax and Economic Policy (ITEP) writes where gas taxes used to fund transportation infrastructure increased, if only by decimal points, and about the aberration—the six-cent plunge in California.
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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.
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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