Andrea Bernstein traces how, in four short years, partisan politics have infected discussions about investment in infrastructure.
With a "D" grade from the American Society of Civil Engineers, the sad state of the nation's infrastructure is indisputable. And as recently as 2008, Republicans and Democrats agreed on the need for highway and transit funding. However, the parties' take on the issue this year could not be more divided.
At the crux of the debate is the role of federal spending in transportation infrastructure. While Republicans assert that more infrastructure spending will lead to an even greater deficit, Obama remains committed to transportation investment, including dedicating a sizable chunk of his $800 billion stimulus bill to highways, transit, and high speed rail.
Governors Christie and Cuomo are an example of the disagreement in action. Republican Governor Chris Christie is among those against federal spending, writes Bernstein, and "started a modern trend: sending billions back to the federal government for a local transit project rather than risk incurring extra debt for New Jersey taxpayers." Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York, on the other hand, went full speed ahead with his own $5 billion bridge project, claiming that "If we want this state to be what we want this state to be you have to be able to tackle a project like this."
FULL STORY: How Infrastructure Politics Turned Partisan: Looking Back on Four Years
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
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.