You have heard it, or seen it, before. A developer comes in for a presubmittal meeting, and he is excited. He has the best project your city has ever seen, and, when all is said and done, he insists that the city will never be the same. And he’s right.
Local Government
Historic Preservation Jobs Are Local
With Missouri's Historic Preservation Tax Credit on the chopping block, Citiography outlines seven reasons the state should keep this program. Creating local jobs is just one.
Citiography
Government Control Vs. Individual Responsibility
Climate Central intern Ruthie Nachmany writes how one conference on energy envisions individuals taking a role in being energy efficient, while another conference prefers cities creating systems that can lead to energy efficiency.
Climate Central
Federal Officals to Aid Recovery in Six Problematic U.S. Cities
Federal officials are being sent to work in six cities including Detroit, Cleveland and New Orleans to help coordinate local officials to "tap federal funds and leverage local and regional resources," The Wall Street Journal's Sharon Terlep reports.
The Wall Street Journal
The Private Sector Approach to the Public Sector
This short series from Next American City looks at the emerging trend of entrepreneurs applying their own private-sector business savvy to the world of local government.
Next American City
Can California Solve Its Budget Deficit and Save Redevelopment?
Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster and a group of local stakeholders is circulating a proposal that would help the state of California and generate revenue for local redevelopment. Is it too late for a win-win in California?
The Planning Report
Michigan Bill Gives Gov. Power to Seize Control of Cities
Both houses of the Michigan Legislature have passed bills expanding the governor's right to declare a "financial emergency" and appoint managers to run cities, towns and school districts with little local oversight.
Daily Tribune
"Realigning" Policies To Give Local Government More Power
Washington Governor Chris Gregoire is part of a growing national trend of empowering local government with areas that have been run by states, such as education. Reporter David Brewster says this is a movement the right and left can agree on.
Crosscut
Local Govts. Step to the Plate on Climate Change
With politics tangling up action on the Federal level, cities and local governments are adopting climate action plans to combat global warming. Smart growth is high on the list of action items.
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy blog
Outsourced City
The City of Maywood, California has completely outsourced all of its civic services and turned local officials into contract workers. Though some worried the city would crumble, it's actually taken a turn for the better.
The New York Times
California Redevelopment Association Faces Fallout From Loss of $1.7 Billion
John Shirey, executive director of the California Redevelopment Association, talks about the recent court ruling that allowed California to take $2 billion in redevelopment from local municipalities, leaving hundreds of projects at risk.
The Planning Report
Houston, A Model City for the U.S.
Houston is often the butt of many urban planners' jokes. With no formal zoning, wide roads and huge houses, it's often what urban planners are trying to move American cities away from. Joel Kotkin argues Houston is a model city for the U.S.
Forbes
How the Recession is Downsizing Local Government
Budget cuts are dramatically reshaping many local governments. This piece from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution looks at how the recession will restructure governments in the Atlanta area.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Uncertain Times See Cities Planning for Peak Oil
With energy and the economy both causing headaches, 2008 has been a big year for local governments recognizing and planning for peak oil. Finding a way forward in a future of constrained energy will require much of planners.
Post Carbon Cities Blog
Local Governments 'Heroes' of the Climate Crisis
If buildings are responsible for almost half of the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, then our energy and building codes are incredibly important tools attaining energy and climate sanity.
Gristmill
A Micro Approach to A Macro Problem
This article from The Washington Post looks at what local municipalities are doing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Washington Post






















