Governing

A 15-year-old ban on biking and walking to school in Saratoga Springs, New York may be lifted, after one bike-friendly parent challenged the policy.

Landfills produce a lot of methane gas, one of the main greenhouse gases contributing to global warming. In an effort to both reduce that impact and responsibly reuse the gas, some municipalities are converting it into energy.

When Lafayette, Louisiana set out to build a high-speed fiber optic data network, legal challenges caused major delays. Other cities are likely to experience the same issues as they try to expand their information infrastructure.

Green buildings are great, but don't do too much if they're located in grossly un-green places. The city of Portland is trying to address the issue by creating "eco-districts".

Municipal bonds are being defaulted on left and right. But the news sounds worse than it is. Few of those defaults are by cities -- for now.

Collecting an reusing rainwater is one way cities can deal with diminishing freshwater supplies. The more people can collect, the better. And people can collect more water if they have bigger containers.

A huge but largely under-noticed portion of public transit money goes to paratransit -- equipment and services to transport disabled people. Now, cheaper alternatives are emerging.

Once guerrilla, now becoming policy, greywater reuse is picking up in cities across the country.

This post from Governing looks at the long planning process of the Orange County Great Park, a 1,347 acre public park that's been in the works for 7 years. Comprehensive design plans were recently approved and construction is set to begin.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency is offering Katrina cottage dwellers the chance to buy up their units. But will these "shotgun shacks" ever be considered legitimate homes?

Urban policy is looking to be a major element of President Barack Obama's administration. Though it hasn't quite taken shape yet, this piece argues it's a good sign for cities and metropolitan regions.

As the economy dives and housing values plummet, revenue from property taxes is expected to fall over the next few years, making things tough for many cities.

From Boston to Austin to L.A., more and more cities across the U.S. are making efforts to reduce their carbon emissions and environmental impact by instituting green building codes.

The city of Washington D.C. is trying to get ready for the Presidential Inauguration -- likely to be the largest gathering of people in U.S. history.

How well mayors and city officials deal with snowstorms is one of the best indicators of how well they can serve their cities, according to this article from Governing.

Preserving farmland has always been a major issue in the U.S. But as Bill Fulton discusses, the local economic results don't quite justify the efforts.

Three years later, Hurricane Katrina has had lasting effects on New Orleans. It's also taught America some lessons about how to react to natural disasters -- and how not to.

The population of white people in Atlanta is growing larger by the day, a demographic shift many say is bringing about major changes in the city. This article from Governing says other cities are seeing similar trends.

In this column from Governing, Peter Harkness looks at the increasing influence and power of metropolitan areas.

The rise in virtual connections and Internet-based communities had many worried that traditional community interaction was dying out. Governing's Alan Ehrenhalt argues it hasn't yet, and probably won't.