Government / Politics
Courts order EPA to release billions in climate grants
The grants primarily funded projects aimed at Black, low-income and disadvantaged communities.
Nevada sues feds to block Colorado River cuts
The federal government’s newly released plan for managing the Colorado River’s dwindling water supply could cause Nevada to lose over 70% of its allocated water.
Feds say Arizona, California and Nevada must cut Colorado River water use by 1.25 million acre-feet
The new plan does not apply mandatory cuts to any of the river’s upper basin states.
Cape Cod court to decide whether off-site homeless shelter qualifies as ‘religious use’
Faith-based communities across America are increasingly using their land to build affordable and supportive housing.
Tulsa dissolves city-county planning commission
The Tulsa Metropolitan Planning Commission, which previously oversaw both city and county planning issues, will split into two separate bodies on Sept. 2.
NYC will add nearly 10,000 acres of ‘urban forest’ by 2040
The city aims to increase canopy tree coverage by nearly 30% to cool streets and decrease heat-related illness.
Maryland county approves first agricultural use of composted human remains
Earth Funeral will grow a forest from human remains that have gone through a “natural organic reduction” process.
Why a Colorado River water conservation agreement is so hard to reach
As the nation's two largest reservoirs hit their lowest levels on record, what would it take to avert the crisis? An expert weighs in.
Los Angeles rescinds twelve 'anti-camping zones'
The zones previously prohibited unhoused people from camping in parts of Hollywood.
Flock cameras misread license plates in 71% of cases in California study
An analysis of 1,500 reports showed a shockingly high rate of error when reading license plates.
Court unfreezes $20B in federal climate grants
A U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that the Trump administration potentially violated the Inflation Reduction Act by attempting to claw back grants awarded under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund program.
Report: BUILD Act would strip over $2B in transit projects from California and New York alone
The proposed federal transportation bill would eliminate billions in funding from the Federal Transit Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration and other federal agencies that fund transit and multimodal transportation programs.
Oregon cities are excluding a key tool that could help their housing goals: maps
An effort to use geospatial analysis to understand how housing and access to opportunity are distributed in Oregon cities has largely stalled.
FHWA removes bike lanes and speed cameras from list of traffic safety measures
The agency did not announce its intention to eliminate five proven safety measures from its list of suggested interventions.
NYC 'Rental Ripoff' report calls for crackdown on negligent landlords
The report outlines strategies for empowering renters and transferring properties from 'low-road' landlords to those who focus on improved tenant outcomes.
New California law could reduce building costs by up to $70k per unit
The law reduces impact fees, which developers say drive up the cost of new housing.
Chicago mayor nominates allies for new regional transit board
The Northern Illinois Transit Authority will take over transit decisions from the existing Regional Transportation Authority.
ROAD to Housing Act passes into law without president's signature
President Trump did not sign or veto the bill, letting it pass into law early Saturday.
NYC expands housing vouchers by $175M in new budget
Mayor Mamdani agreed to drop an Adams-era lawsuit that attempted to block the expansion of the voucher program.
Judge halts 'hasty' HUD changes to homelessness grants
Service providers said the sudden changes would have imperiled thousands of Americans and forced more people into homelessness.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
planning NEXT
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
