Sarah Palin's nomination is an anomaly in American politics- no mayor of a major American city has ever become president. Tony Favro argues that this is a reflection of America's anti-city attitude.
"Given that about 80 percent of Americans live in urban areas, why have so few mayors been elected to the top political posts in the United States?
The answer can be found, perhaps, in the ideals of the men who drafted the American constitution 300 years ago and administered the country's earliest federal governments.
"I view great cities as pestilential to the morals, the health and the liberties of man," Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1800 while he was vice-president and one year before being elected president. As president, Jefferson despised his political opponents because, in his words, "They all live in cities."
With few exceptions, Jefferson had little sympathy for the people who lived in cities. "The mobs of great cities add just so much to support of pure government as sores do to the strength of the human body," he wrote."
FULL STORY: Very few mayors rise to top positions in US government
We Are (Sort of) Less Polarized Than in 2016
After moving toward Democrats for decades, central cities moved toward Republicans in 2020.
What Biden's Win Could Mean for Land Use, Transportation, and Climate
Campaign in poetry and govern in prose, the saying goes. Now that the reality of a Biden presidency is settling in, what does it mean for how the United States plans its future?
The Environment Hangs in the Balance on Election Day
Both the presidential election and numerous state and local ballot measures will determine the future of environmental policy in the United States.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
Fair Housing Cannot Take a Back Seat to ‘Build, Baby, Build’
If we overlook fair housing principles in the plan to build US housing back better, we risk ending up right back where we started.
LA Metro Board Approves New 710 Freeway Plan
The newest plan for the 710 corridor claims it will not displace any residents.
Austin’s Proposed EV Charging Rules Regulate Station Locations, Size
City planners say the new rules would ensure an efficient distribution of charging infrastructure across the city and prevent an overconcentration in residential areas.
Making California State Parks More Climate-Resilient
A recently released report offers recommendations for keeping state parks healthy and robust, including acquiring additional land for conservation and recreation.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.
