Government / Politics
Cities Have Tried to Rein in Cars, and the Results Have Been Mixed
Vehicle pollution is making cities around the world unlivable. Some cities have taken steps to curb auto use and emissions, with varying levels of success.
Silo-Breaking Sustainability or Real-Life Lorax: L.A.’s First City Forest Officer
The city of L.A.’s first city forest officer, Rachel Malarich, opines on her new role in facilitating cooperation between the city’s departments to achieve a more equitable urban canopy.
Street Vending Makes Public Spaces Better. Stop Criminalizing It.
While recent crackdowns on street vending suggest it is a problem to be fixed, the reality is that street vendors energize urban spaces and make them more accessible for everyone.
Nation's Top Safety Board Recommends Protected Bike Lanes
The NTSB chair issued a stark warning on Nov. 5: "If we do not improve roadway infrastructure for bicyclists, bicyclists will die who otherwise would not," stated Robert Sumwalt in introducing their first report in 47 years devoted to bike safety.
Oregon Congressman Takes on Federal Housing Policy
U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) offers perspective on the U.S. housing crisis, the scale and complexity of which he argues demands affirmative federal action.
To Reduce Carbon Emissions, Focus on Existing Buildings
Architects are uniquely positioned to reduce global warming, argues the CEO of Urban Green Council—but first they need to rethink their role.
Berkeley to Explore 'Idaho Stop' Policy for People on Bikes
Berkeley could decide to deprioritize enforcement of people on bikes who treat stop signs as yield signs when the intersection is free of traffic.
Outgoing City Councilmember Suggests Zoning Overhaul in Philadelphia
Land use was a deciding factor in May when long-time Philadelphia City Councilmember Jannie Blackwell lost in a May primary election. Now, in a final month in office, Blackwell proposes the changes that some community members were waiting for.
Op-Ed: Housing Could Have Fared Better in San Francisco Election
This month's election yielded mixed results on housing. The pros: a solid victory for pro-housing Mayor London Breed and two affordable housing measures. The con: likely more anti-housing sentiment on the Board of Supervisors.
California Town Looks to Rebuild After Wildfire, but No Clear Path Forward
Paradise, California, burned to the ground last year, and the town’s recovery has begun. But questions remain about the measures that should be put into place to prevent another disaster.
Opportunity Zone: A Superyacht Marina, Adjacent Luxury Apartment Development
The federal government's Opportunity Zones program is offering a tax break to a marina for superyachts and adjacent planned development in West Palm Beach, Florida.
APA Opposes Withdrawal From the Paris Climate Agreement
The American Planning Association is urging the Trump administration to rescind its decision to withdraw the country from the Paris Climate Agreement.
Curbside Management to Tame Roadway Chaos
A pilot program in Columbus, Ohio, will help bring order to the city’s curbside space, a response to a mobility network that has become more complicated and crowded.
The Food Deserts of Rural America
When a town doesn’t have a grocery store, it means people don’t have access to food. But grocery stores also play an essential social and economic role in rural places. Community stores are trying to fill in the void.
Election 2019: Changing Demographics Explain Democrats' Victory in Virginia
It's not suburbs vs. cities but inner vs. outer suburbs that determined the outcome of elections in Virginia last Tuesday that flipped the General Assembly from red to blue.
Deal Will Preserve Valuable S.F. Bay Area Open Space
Land in the Coyote Valley in San Jose, California, will be protected in a move that ends over three decades of development battles.
N.Y.C. Looking at Deal for Canadian Hydroelectricity
The city is considering a contract to purchase hydroelectricity from Quebec and might also provide funding for the energy infrastructure.
Urban Planning, Explained
Planetizen and Planetizen Courses teamed up to film this short video that aims to clarify the field of urban planning in a world full of plans and planning.
Squamish Nation Plans 6,000-Unit Development in Vancouver
The residential development in Vancouver, located on Squamish Nation land, will be significantly larger than what was initially planned.
Environmental Study of Shasta Dam Project Halted
The federal government was considering a plan to raise the height of the dam on California's largest reservoir. But the area’s water district recently announced that it will not continue with an environmental study of the project.
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.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
