The headline from Politico's recent survey of mayors says it all: mayors fear that there will be more public health disasters like Flint to come if the nation doesn't coordinate to prioritize infrastructure.
Ben Wofford shares insights into the findings of Politico Magazine's fifth national Mayors Survey. "The survey of 55 mayors—from Los Angeles to Minneapolis, Honolulu to Philadelphia, San Antonio to Tampa—is not scientific and four-fifths of respondents identify as Democratic, reflecting the left-leaning realities of city politics," explains Wofford.
That left-leaning quality of cities revealed some very consistent concerns with regard to infrastructure. According to Wofford, the survey "found nearly half of America’s mayors believe their roads, bridges and water pipes have deteriorated critically over the past 10 years."
The article surveys some of the most egregious failures of infrastructure in recent years, while explaining the funding realities of infrastructure programs at the federal state and local level. Wofford also shares quotes from mayors who took the survey, most of which express some manner of dismay with the state of infrastructure in cities.
FULL STORY: Mayors: Flint Could Happen to Us
MTA Spending Millions on Cleaning, but Disagreement Over the Need
Deep cleaning of the New York City subway and bus system is part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s coronavirus response. But it is costly and time consuming, and the public health benefits are not entirely clear.
Religion in the Pandemic: First Amendment vs. Public Health and Safety
Conflicts between church and state are being decided in state and federal courts as governors act to protect their constituents from the coronavirus while religious institutions and their supporters seek exceptions from social gathering restrictions.
New Oil and Gas Drilling in California May Be Subject to Moratorium
Gov. Gavin Newsom pleased environmentalists by doing what his predecessor, Gov. Jerry Brown, refused – halting all new oil and gas fracking and placing a moratorium on another extraction method linked to a massive oil spill in Kern County.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
LA County Receives Reconnecting Communities Grants
Seven grant awards totaling $162 million will be used for planning, capital projects, and regional partnerships to reduce environmental harm and improve access in disadvantaged communities.
Seine Pollution Could Hinder Olympic Swim Events
Events like the triathlon could be impacted if tests continue to reveal high levels of dangerous bacteria in Paris’ famous river.
How Financing Restricts the Rental Housing Market
The way apartment buildings are financed has a major impact on supply and costs.
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
City of Cleburne
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
City of Laramie, Wyoming
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.
