Government / Politics
MBTA's Capital Spending Plan Subject to Agency-Wide Review
The MBTA’s plan to repair and improve the ailing system means major service disruptions are likely coming. Officials say they want to minimize the pain and suffering of riders.
Effects of Federal Shutdown Only Beginning to Show at Local and State Transportation Agencies
Effects of the partial shutdown of the federal government differ between state highway departments and local transit agencies. Some effects aren't yet apparent, but could be soon.
Progressive Carbon Pricing Policy Should Address Social Equity
Putting a price on carbon emissions is widely viewed as an effective tool to reduce emissions. It can also be applied to help those who stand to lose the most from climate change, thus enabling a socially just transition to a low carbon economy.
Breaking News: Court Blocks Citizenship Question on 2020 Census
A federal judge's decision accuses U.S. Commerce Secretary of playing politics with the U.S. Census.
Vermont to Pay People to Relocate
To encourage people to move to Vermont, new program will help remote workers with the costs of relocating.
Boston Mayor's Proposal Would Allow More Increases in City Linkage Fees
Developers pay impact fees to fund affordable housing and job programs, but the mayor wants the city to have more discretion around changing the requirements.
BART Considers Range of Options for Retired Vehicles
Hundreds of cars in the system will be going offline in coming years, and the agency is looking at a variety of ideas for what to do with them.
CA Gov.: Cities Must Meet Housing Goals or State Will Withhold Gas Tax Funds
Newly inaugurated California Gov. Gavin Newsom made waves on Thursday in his budget address, threatening cities and counties with the possibility of losing a portion of their gas tax subventions if they fail to meet their state housing requirements.
Federal Shutdown Threatens Rental Assistance Program
The ongoing shutdown of the federal government could begin to have terrible consequences for some of the nation's most vulnerable populations.
Tolls, Not Gas and Sales Taxes, Will Fund I-81 Improvements in Virginia
Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam announced he is backing Republican legislation to toll all lanes of Interstate 81 to fund $2.2 billion in improvements along the 325-mile corridor, heavily used by trucks, from West Virginia to Tennessee.
Mileage Fee or Annual Fee for Electric Vehicles?
What's the best way to ensure that electric vehicle drivers pay to maintain the roads they drive on, considering they don't pay fuel taxes? A new report from the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies was sent to the California legislature.
Boston Dedicated Bus Lanes Facing Funding Questions
The bus lanes have improved travel times, but who should cover the costs isn't entirely clear.
Smart Cities, at What Cost?
Kansas City, Missouri, wants to be a smart cities leader, but it also needs to address concerns about data collection and privacy, say critics.
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.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
