Government / Politics
San Diego Smart City Sensors Causing Controversy
Thousands of streetlight sensors are collecting a trove of data—from traffic counts to humidity levels—and advocacy groups say the city needs to be more transparent about how the data is being used and who has access to it.
Opinion: When New Growth Is Really a 'Giant Ponzi Scheme'
Development that depends on subsidies is not fostering true growth and instead is a financial house of cards.
The End of the Mall? Navigating the Shifting Retail Landscape
More online shopping means fewer consumers are spending money at brick-and-mortar stores, with suburban malls hit especially hard. But municipalities are looking for creative strategies to navigate a post-mall world.
95 Environmental Regulations Threatened by the Trump Administration
New York Times analysis quantifies the environmental regulations at risk under the actions of the Trump administration.
Wisconsin Town Could Lift Ban on Throwing Snowballs
Since 1962, throwing a snowball in Wausau, Wisconsin could have gotten you a ticket.
On Progressive Impotence and an Obsolete Penn Station
In a deep dive into the sad state of the nation's busiest transit hub, Marc J. Dunkelman raises a dispiriting question. In their zeal to ward off future Robert Moseses, have progressives crippled government's power to carry out its job?
Green Hydrogen, Plus Storage, Key to Los Angeles' Plan for Carbon-Free Electricity
The Los Angeles municipal utility will convert a Utah coal power plant to run on natural gas in 2025. According to a proposal unveiled Dec. 10, the plant will incrementally be converted to run entirely on hydrogen, a zero-emission fuel, by 2045.
Preserving Affordable Housing Along Maryland Light Rail Line
A new plan lays out strategies to keep housing affordable for low- and moderate-income residents along the corridor of Maryland’s new Purple Line.
Cities Still Absent From Presidential Campaign Politics
Last night's Democratic candidate debate was held in the nation's second largest city, but like previous debates, it left urban issues largely unaddressed.
Arizona Environmental Agency Cutbacks Significant, Says Report
A new report says funding and staffing cuts at the state’s environmental protection agency could prevent it from adequately protecting public health and the environment.
Seattle Regional Homelessness Authority Plan Moves Forward, but Faces Controversy
A proposal for a regional entity to oversee homeless services in King County is running into jurisdictional conflicts.
Distracted Driving—Still a Problem and a Threat to Public Safety
Even with laws limiting or prohibiting the use of devices while driving, motorists continue to make calls and text while driving.
Two Perspectives on Surging Canadian Housing Costs
Real estate prices in Toronto and Vancouver continue to rise, but there is not consensus about what is behind the growing housing crisis and the best solutions to pursue.
Affordable Housing Required for Development on L.A. City Properties
The Los Angeles City Council has approved a rule that residential buildings on city property will have to be 100 percent affordable.
Colorado River Cutback Plan to Start in January
States in the Lower Basin of the Colorado River will contribute more water in order to keep reservoirs from reaching critically low levels.
California Proposal to Shelter Homeless on Cruise Ship
Oakland is looking at the possibility of housing homeless people in unconventional quarters.
Is the End of Bangkok Street Food Vending Near?
Street food vendors are an integral part of the Bangkok urban landscape, but city planners want to see them gone.
S.F. Bay Area Cooperative Offers New Affordable Housing Model
A California cooperative brings together investors to make homeownership more accessible and finance housing projects that help to slow gentrification.
Amazon's Omnipresence in American Cities
In Baltimore, Amazon is at the center of a complicated web of products, services, and industries that is virtually impossible to avoid.
Gov. Newsom's Phase-out of Oil Production Prompts Backlash in Kern County
Almost 80% of oil extraction in the nation's sixth largest oil-producing state occurs in Kern County. Supervisors see the California governor's climate plan to reduce oil production as a threat to the county's economic well-being.
Pagination
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority