Government / Politics
Progressive Property Tax Proposal Dies in Less Than 24 Hours
Susana Mendoza, a Chicago mayoral candidate, reconsidered her plan for a graduated property tax after receiving pushback.
Philadelphia Unlikely to Follow Minneapolis' Lead in Zoning Reform
Minneapolis is setting a bold example by ending single-family zoning, but chances are a similar change won’t be coming to Philadelphia.
Massachusetts Tops California in Emission Reductions
California and Massachusetts use the same name for climate change legislation, Global Warming Solutions Act, and set the same target date for reductions, 2020. Both achieved their targets 2016, but the Bay State had a tougher goal to meet.
Nudging People to Keep Cities Clean
Philadelphia looked at how interventions can change recycling and littering behavior.
New Year's Law: Over 200,000 EV Drivers Lost Access to California Carpool Lanes
As many as 215,000 owners of mostly electric vehicles purchased before 2017 lost their privilege to access carpool lanes on New Year's Day. The main purpose of HOV lanes is to reduce congestion.
Opinion: Close National Parks During the Shutdown
The consequences of allowing the public free access to national parks without any supervision or maintenance operations are to great a risk, according to a former director of the National Park Service.
Fighting Climate Change With an Income Tax
There's been a lot of talk about the Green New Deal, but not that much is known about it. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who is promoting it, explained the program on 60 Minutes on January 6.
Tax Deal Clears the Way for Seattle's Grand Waterfront Park Plans
A proposed waterfront plan has secured the necessary funding to move forward in Seattle, pending City Council approval.
New York Times: Transit on West Coast Surging Ahead of East Coast
East Coast transit systems used to be the envy of other cities, but now the West Coast is taking big steps to expand their networks.
Massachusetts Finally Enacts Tax of Short-Term Rentals
The Massachusetts Legislature approved a tax on short-term rentals in July 2018 only to have Governor Charlie Baker amend the bill. The amendments proved only a temporary setback.
Democratic Presidential Contenders May Elevate Housing Policy
Housing measures fared well in the 2018 election, and it's likely that Democratic contenders for the presidency in 2020 have taken notice and will boost those issues in their campaigns.
Assessing Feasibility Studies for Inclusionary Zoning
Cities use the studies to inform decisions about inclusionary housing programs. But a closer look shows that there is great variation in the methods and metrics, with no one correct approach for every situation.
Wisconsin Law Could Delay Major Highway Projects
A plan to save money on highway megaprojects is likely to backfire, experts warn.
New York City Polystyrene Ban Took Effect New Year's Day
Thanks to two recent New York State court rulings, disposable food and beverage containers will no longer be made from polystyrene in the nation's largest city. The ban was originally proposed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in February 2013.
Affordable Housing Cap-and-Trade Idea Resurfaces
In New Jersey, a cap-and-trade system existed for two decades and appeared to just perpetuate housing and social inequities. But now legislators and researchers are considering it again.
Washington State Budget Makes Puget Sound Orcas a Priority
Southern Resident orca numbers are distressingly low. The proposed budget would fund a number of measures to help the whales.
Ontario May Strip Protections from Toronto Greenbelt
A proposed bill would open nearly 2 million acres of protected land to commercial and industrial development.
EPA Targets Co-Benefits in Rulemaking—Public Health to Suffer
The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a critical change in the cost-benefit analysis used in the mercury rule that applies to coal-fired power plants. By eliminating the principle of co-benefits, public health impacts would be severe.
Apple Is Going Suburban Rather Than Urban in Austin
Apple has plans to build a new campus and expand its Texas workforce. The decision to expand to an Austin suburb points to both regional and national trends and outcomes.
Learning the Wrong Lessons From France's Yellow Vest Movement
The widespread Yellow Vests protests, which initially involved hundreds of thousands of protestors in November, are wrongly being interpreted as a movement against carbon taxes and climate action, rather than a revolt against social inequities.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
