Government / Politics

Re-Positioning Cities at the Core of Global Trade

Recalling the structure of ancient trade hubs, the Brookings Institute’s Alan Berube calls for local and national policies to once again place cities at the center of international trading strategies.

January 29, 2013 - Project Syndicate

Stop Segregating the Rich! Fighting Displacement Fights Crime

Isolating poor residents from rich ones is not only bad for those being segregated, it leads to the worst outcomes for a city as a whole. Fighting displacement results in less crime and more stable and healthy communities.

January 28, 2013 - Rooflines

Parking Privatization Efforts Not Spreading Smoothly

In the wake of the problem-plagued privatization of Chicago's parking meters in 2008, two WSJ reporters assess conversions (or attempts) in Indianapolis (2010), Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Cincinnati and New York, as well as what went wrong in Chicago.

January 28, 2013 - The Wall Street Jounal

How an Honorable Elbow Led to One City's Bicycle Revolution

Before Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was thrown off his bike by a taxi, shattering his elbow in the process, L.A. was known as "a pathologically unfriendly bike city." Two years later, the city has made incredible strides in building its bike culture.

January 28, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

The Politics of Public Works

As Barack Obama takes the oath of office for his second term, Places editor Nancy Levinson argues for an intensified political agenda for architects and urban designers.

January 27, 2013 - Places Journal

Bracing for Sandy's Second Impact

First came the floods from torrential rains and record storm surges. Now, long after the flood waters have receded, localities across the New York region are bracing for receding finances from declining property tax revenues.

January 26, 2013 - The New York Times

Ray LaHood Stays On As Transportation Secretary

Ending speculation as to whether he would stay or announce his resignation as many in Obama's cabinet have done, and who would replace him should he depart, Ray LaHood announced informally he would stay on as Secretary of the Dept. of Transportation.

January 26, 2013 - Bloomberg News

Miami's Baseball Stadium Boondoggle Keeps Looking Worse

As Miami considers using taxes to fund yet another stadium project, analysis indicates the hundreds of millions in public subsidies used for the construction of the city's new baseball stadium will end up costing taxpayers more than $2 billion.

January 25, 2013 - The Miami Herald

Will CA's Famed Anti-Sprawl Law Block a Proposed Sacramento Project?

A proposed 2,700-acre development appears to conflict with the regional plan that complies with SB 375, a 2008 landmark law meant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing vehice-miles-traveled. The decision rests with the Board of Supervisors.

January 25, 2013 - Sacramento Bee

Public Process and the Perils of Dismissive Engagement

Steve Jobs said, "People don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” So why do planners keep asking people what they'd like to see? Scott Doyon believes it's time to dig deeper.

January 25, 2013 - PlaceShakers

As Canada Heats Up, Officials Scramble to Keep Up

"Canada is getting hotter faster than ever before and at a faster rate than almost any other country," reports Anna Mehler Paperny, and the country's infrastructure, public health, and economy are vulnerable to unforeseen impacts.

January 24, 2013 - The Globe and Mail (Toronto)

Crime Skyrockets After City Bankruptcy

San Bernardino was the third city in California to file for bankruptcy last year. Within the past year it has descended from a model of crime reduction to a crime-plagued city.

January 24, 2013 - The New York Times

Data Shows Inclusionary Housing Is...Inclusionary!

Advocates of inclusionary zoning have something to smile about. A new report from the Rand Corporation confirms that the housing produced by these zoning policies does in fact create or preserve affordable housing in areas of low poverty.

January 24, 2013 - Shelterforce Online

Gearing Up Britain's Bike Use

Although Britain's sporting successes make it out to be a nation of cyclists, only 2.2% of Britons use a bike as their main mode of transportation. Peter Walker looks at how a pioneering parliamentary inquiry hopes to get more people on bikes.

January 23, 2013 - The Guardian

Build More Bike Lanes to Save Lives, Say Toronto Doctors

Following the arrest of Dr. Tomislav Svoboda for obstructing the removal of Jarvis Street's bike lanes last November, the doctor and his colleagues have joined together to ask Toronto to speed up the installation of bike lanes to save lives.

January 22, 2013 - Torontoist

Tax Foundation Study: States Ranked by Road User Fees

A new study from the Tax Foundation starts with the premise that user fees - gas taxes and tolls, should pay for road funding. All 50 states are evaluated to see the greatest percentage of user fees. Delaware is rated first; Alaska and Wyoming last.

January 22, 2013 - Tax Foundation

Dare to Live Outdoors

The old cool: Sealing yourself inside suburban air conditioning. The new cool? According to Howard Blackson, it's the joy to be found outside, connecting with one another and the world we share.

January 22, 2013 - PlaceShakers

Who Should Pay for Parks?

Philadelphia spends $64 on parks and recreation facilities per resident, one of the lowest totals in the nation. Ryan Briggs uses the city as a lens to examine the growing impact of budget cuts to park systems on their surrounding communities.

January 22, 2013 - Next City

Obama's Inaugural Address Cheered by Urbanists and Environmentalists

Matt Bevilacqua found much to cheer in the 'renewed focus on urbancentric topics' that President Obama delivered in his second inaugural address. Climate change, immigration, and inequality were among the speech's primary topics.

January 22, 2013 - Next City

Replacing the Gas Tax: Two States Choose Different Strategies

What is the future of the "deeply flawed" state gas tax? Lemov Penelope compares the approaches taken by VA and OR - both plan to eliminate it and replace it with alternatives - a state sales tax and a vehicle-miles-traveled (VMT) fee, respectively.

January 21, 2013 - Governing Magazine

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.