What is the secret of the SUV's popularity?
"On one side are devout environmentalists and icky Hollywood types as well as reputable safety experts who say SUVs can be death machines...On the other side are champions of the land barge...assorted auto lobbyists, free-market enthusiasts and moms on car-pool duty...pro-SUV forces cheered last month when it was disclosed that the Bush Administration wants to increase a tax break allowing small businesses to deduct much of the price of the heaviest SUVs from their taxes -- even when those SUVs won't be hauling anything more than the boss and his morning Starbucks...Because they are so much heavier and higher off the ground, SUVs can ride atop cars when they collide, crushing the smaller vehicles...The right way to frame the SUV debate is not whether SUVs should be dumped, but whether society pays too much, and their drivers too little, for the benefits SUVs provide."
Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan
FULL STORY: Why the SUV Is All the Rage
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.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.
