Government / Politics

Solar Panel on a Wind Turbine

Energy Issues at Stake in New Mexico Land Commission Election

Unlike energy issues that will appear in the form of ballot initiatives on Tuesday in three western states, voters in New Mexico will cast their energy vote in their choice for state land commissioner, an arcane position with considerable authority.

November 4, 2018 - NPR

Interstate Research Triangle Park North Carolina

‘Nudging’ Durham Commuters Toward More Sustainable Modes of Travel

Behavioral science is informing the city’s efforts to change the way people commute.

November 4, 2018 - CityLab

U.S. EPA

U.S. EPA's Climate Change Website Still Missing in Action

It might take a new administration for climate change to be of concern to the federal government again.

November 3, 2018 - The Guardian

FLV California train

Major Court Victory for California High-Speed Rail Authority

Plaintiffs suing the state of California over a 2016 law that allowed the High-Speed Rail Authority to tap a $9.9 billion bond measure, passed by voters a decade ago to pay for construction on "usable segments," came up short for the second time.

November 2, 2018 - The Sacramento Bee

Pittsburgh

Judge: Pittsburgh Can't Hide Amazon HQ2 Offer From the Public

City and county officials have already appealed a decision that would require them to release the details of a proposal designed to entice Amazon into locating its second headquarters in Pittsburgh.

November 2, 2018 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Downtown Freeway

State Gubernatorial Elections Have Environmental Consequences

The environment and climate change may not be top issues in the nation's hotly contested gubernatorial contests next Tuesday, but their outcomes can cause policy changes. Take North Carolina and the election of Roy Cooper, a Democrat, two years ago.

November 1, 2018 - The Charlotte Observer

Autonomous Vehicles

TEDx: How Will Autonomous Vehicles Transform Cities?

Nico Larco presents a TEDx Talk on the impacts AVs will have on cities, including impacts on land use, land valuation, and the environment. AVs are more than just a transportation issue, and planners need to prepare for the coming changes.

November 1, 2018 - TEDx Talk

Benito Juarez International Airport

Mexico City Airport Project Ends; Causes Economic Rumblings

Mexican voters do not want the airport project to continue, and serious economic consequences could follow.

November 1, 2018 - Bloomberg

Los Angeles Theater Sidewalk

Curbs Are Plentiful, But the Info About Them Isn’t Great. A New App Could Change That

An app called Surveyor is making it easier to collect better data on curbs.

November 1, 2018 - VentureBeat

San Francisco Homeless

Will More Money Solve San Francisco's Homelessness Problem?

San Francisco voters will decide on Proposition C, a business tax based on gross receipts levied on large employers, the most contentious of five local measures.

October 31, 2018 - Curbed SF

An image of a 3D city block generated by ESRI CityEngine software

Oracle Launches Land Use and Development Software

The product uses artificial intelligence to manage zoning, code enforcement, and permitting for local governments.

October 31, 2018 - Government Technology

Texas Rail

Rural Residents Not on Board With Texas Bullet Train Plan

A proposal for high-speed rail from Houston to Dallas is highlighting the state’s social and political divisions.

October 30, 2018 - Curbed

California State Capital

Sacramento Hopes to Lead Transportation Emission Reductions by Example

As California tries to stem its increasing greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, its capital, Sacramento, may prove to be a model for other cities as it embraces electric vehicles and strategies to reduce driving.

October 29, 2018 - Curbed

Goods Movement

When Academic Research Goes Bad

A 'misconduct investigation' decided that an industry-funded study, used by the EPA as the basis to roll back a regulation limiting the number of old engines that could be used in new truck chassis (i.e., "glider trucks"), was inaccurate.

October 26, 2018 - Transport Topics

Not in my back yard

Friday Funny: Grey Areas Discovered Between YIMBY and NIMBY

You know housing politics has gone mainstream when a satirical literary journal pokes fun at your acronyms.

October 26, 2018 - McSweeney's

Small Jazz Club New York

New York’s Music Venues Vital to City, Says Report

A study of the musical nightlife of New York shows these spaces are an integral part of the city’s urban landscape.

October 26, 2018 - CityLab

Carbon Emissions

Prime Minister Trudeau Extends Carbon Pricing Throughout Canada

A carbon tax-and-dividend plan goes into effect on January 1 in the four Canadian provinces that don't price carbon emissions. Revenues will be rebated to residents, small businesses, and public institutions as Climate Action Incentive payments.

October 25, 2018 - Bloomberg News

New York City

New York Voters to Consider Term Limits for Community Board Members

Proposal 3, on November's ballot, aims to bring new diversity to the community board system that advises land use and development decisions around the city.

October 25, 2018 - Curbed New York

CTA Chicago

Chicago and New York: Two Transit Systems, Two Very Different Outcomes

Both cities have aging transit systems in need of major repairs. Chicago’s approach has helped turn the system around while New York is still grappling with its issues.

October 25, 2018 - The New York Times

Chicago Spire

Aldermanic Obstruction Too Strong for Former Chicago Spire Site Plans

Developers Related Midwest have new plans for the infamously failed development site, but have so far been stymied by demands from the office of Alderman Brendan Reilly.

October 24, 2018 - Chicago Tribune

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.