Government / Politics

Chicago Commuter Rail

What's Hindering Regional Transportation in the U.S.?

Public transportation that serves regional areas makes sense, but the United States has been slow to pursue strategies and policies that foster these types of systems.

September 29, 2019 - the transport politic

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Op-Ed: Feds 'Obsessed' with Undermining National Monument

Utah's Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is under severe assault from the Trump administration, Stephen Trimble writes. Long the focus of preservation efforts, the protected land is being opened up for extractive uses.

September 29, 2019 - The Hill

Seattle Homeless

Seattle Tiny-Home Villages Facing Host of Challenges

The villages offer much-needed housing for homeless people, but controversy is brewing over their operations.

September 28, 2019 - The Seattle Times

High Line Crowds

How to Prevent 'Green Gentrification'

A new report examines a range of strategies that limit the displacement effects of park projects.

September 28, 2019 - CityLab

Pedestrians

U.S. Lagging in Making Streets Safer for Pedestrians

Pedestrian deaths are on the rise in the United States, but cities have been slow to implement effective policies and road design measures to change the trend.

September 27, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Tampa Bay Storm

Tampa Bay Isn't Prepared for the Hurricanes of the Future

The area is especially vulnerable to storm surge, and increased development means more people are at risk when major hurricanes push through.

September 26, 2019 - Vox

Polk Street Bikes

Quick Build Initiative Transforming the Streets of San Francisco

Street improvements to benefit cyclists and pedestrians have been moving rapidly in San Francisco since the June approval of the Vision Zero quick-build initiative, a two-year plan to expedite safety project on high-injury corridors.

September 26, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

New York Subway

Op-Ed: NYC Transit Service Cuts Wrong Way to Bolster Budget

The agency could see an influx of capital funds from congestion pricing, but cuts to bus and rail service to make up for budget shortfalls would result in long-term setbacks to the system.

September 26, 2019 - Crain's New York Business

Texas Capitol Building

Local Governments Brace for Property Tax Relief in Texas

Before property tax relief, the property taxes will increase.

September 26, 2019 - Houston Chronicle

Self-Driving Cars

Planning Ahead for an Autonomous Vehicle Future

A new guide says cities need to plan now for AVs so they are not caught off guard when the technology finally arrives.

September 25, 2019 - Wired

Traffic in Manhattan New York

Cars Still Rule the Road. Is Change Possible?

The dominant narrative is that streets are for cars and infrastructure that accommodates driving is necessary for cities to grow. But cities ended up this way because of decisions that make other modes secondary.

September 25, 2019 - The Outline

President of the United States

White House Report on 'The State of Homelessness in America' Criticized

Shortly after a tumultuous visit to California focusing on the homelessness crisis in San Francisco and Los Angeles, Trump administration has released a report on homelessness that is already facing criticism.

September 24, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Post Card Images

The Psychic Forces of NIMBY Rage

With several years of contentious political debates, many surrounding homelessness, ravaging Seattle, a writer attempts to explain how the politics of city building got so heated.

September 23, 2019 - Crosscut

Smart City Apps and Intelligent Lighting Controls from Current by GE

Which U.S. Cities Have the Most Surveillance?

Atlanta has more surveillance residents per resident than any other U.S. city.

September 23, 2019 - Route Fifty

Electric Car Charging Station

Did the Outlook for Electric Vehicle Sales in U.S. Just Nosedive?

With the formal announcement by the EPA and the U.S. DOT on Thursday that the "One National Standard" rule has been issued, California's zero-emission standard, which applies to ten other states, is essentially on hold.

September 21, 2019 - InsideClimate News

Food Trucks

Diversifying Neighborhood Associations More Challenging Than Assumed

The schedule for the Neighborhoods 2020 initiative in Minneapolis has been pushed as neighborhood organizations have pushed back on the city's efforts to remake the system in a more representative form.

September 20, 2019 - MinnPost

California Houses

California's Housing Crisis—No End in Sight

This past year looked promising in terms of opportunities to tackle the state’s housing woes. But most measures failed and the problem is just growing.

September 20, 2019 - Rolling Stone

SORTA Metro

Bolstering the Case for Public Transit Investment by Connecting the Dots to Infrastructure

The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority wants funding to revamp its bus system, but convincing voters of a tax's necessity will require bigger thinking.

September 20, 2019 - Cincinnati Business Courier

Las Vegas and Environs

Las Vegas Faces a Challenging and Uncertain Environmental Future

Excessive heat will impact the desert city in the coming years, and major steps need to be taken now to change its course.

September 19, 2019 - The Guardian

Carpool Lane

Converting a Carpool Lane to a High Occupancy Toll Lane No Easy Task

Supervisors of California's fourth-largest county declared their formal opposition to the conversion of carpool lanes on the Riverside Freeway to high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, but they are open to toll lanes, under the right conditions.

September 19, 2019 - The Press-Enterprise

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.

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

Senior Planner

Eagle County Government

Top Books

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100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.