United States

Rent Costs Rising Faster in Suburbs Than Urban Cores
In a majority of U.S. metro areas, suburban rent hikes are outpacing urban rent increases.

Georgia Makes Clean Energy History in U.S.
The first newly constructed nuclear power plant to generate electricity in the U.S. in over 30 years began operation in Waynesboro, Georgia on July 31.

Tracking U.S. ‘Higher-Speed’ Rail Progress
Five projects are moving the United States forward on so-called “higher-speed” rail.

HUD Updates Fair Market Rate Definition
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced two actions last week intended to expand the reach of federal housing voucher programs.

Utah Oil Shale Extraction Dealt Major Setback
The Surface Transportation Board's approval in 2021 of a proposed 85-mile Uinta Basin Railway in Utah that would have enabled increased extraction of the world's largest source of oil shale was partially vacated by a federal appeals court last month.

Friday Fun: Best Cities for Rooftop Dining and Drinking
Just in time for summer’s last hurrah, a list of cities with a reputation for rooftop entertainment.

The Materials Movement: Advancing Low-Carbon, Healthy Materials for Sustainable Communities
Every component of a building, from the concrete foundation to the paint on the walls, has an impact on human health, the climate, and ecosystems around the globe. Building materials—once overlooked in real estate’s sustainability efforts—are now bei

Exploring Urban Resurgence
In a wide ranging personal journey of interest to planners and interpreters of the built and natural landscapes, Chuck Wolfe weaves the interplay of the forces behind the everyday, providing fodder for problem solving in our cities and towns.

Post-Pandemic Home Building Trends: More Bedrooms, Smaller Homes
U.S. homes are adding bedrooms while getting smaller, according to two seemingly contradictory articles published on the same day from different data sources earlier this month.

Supreme Court’s College Admissions Ruling Could Impact Environmental Justice Efforts
If rectifying racial injustice no longer passes constitutional muster, what chance does the environmental justice movement have?

New Research Builds Evidence for Zoning Reform
Cityscape has published a collection of new research building support for zoning reforms as a tool for mitigating the effects of the housing affordability crisis.

U.S. Transit Agencies Still in Need of a Long-Term Solution to the Looming ‘Fiscal Cliff’
San Francisco and New York exemplify the political challenges in finding long-term finding solutions for public transit in the post-pandemic United States.

TSA Suggests More Background Checks for Transit Workers
The proposal could make it even harder for short-staffed agencies to attract and hire new employees.

Rail Electrification: Caltrain adds BEMUs to its EMU Order
Caltrain, the San Francisco-to-San Jose commuter railroad, plans to begin electrified operation next year on its 49-mile mainline. A 28-mile extension south to Gilroy would continue to be served by diesel trains, with one train powered by battery.

How the Housing Crisis Impacts Family Life
More Americans are opting for multi-generational co-living, in large part due to rising housing costs.

Pandemic Relief Programs Prevented Homelessness Despite Housing Burden
A new study highlights the important role of emergency relief funding and eviction bans in stemming the rise of homelessness even as more families became housing-insecure.

An Urbanist Agenda for Education
An opinion article by Angie Schmitt addresses the neglect of education policy in the urbanist political platform, and proposes two specific education policy goals for urbanists to get behind.

Walkable Neighborhoods Connected to Healthier Pregnancies, Births
More evidence of the public health benefits of walkable neighborhoods.

Bring Back the Corner Store
‘Accessory commercial units’ were once common across U.S. towns and cities. Now, zoning regulations make them illegal in many places.

Making Natural Gas Power Plants Cleaner
Carbon capture and storage has long been associated with coal-burning power plants. Calpine Corp. hopes to apply the controversial technology to existing natural gas power plants, beginning with a pilot project to start this month in the Bay Area.
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