Government / Politics

Rooftop Solar

Arizona and Nevada to Vote on Renewable Energy Initiatives

Voters in two Western states next month will determine whether to require energy utilities to increase their share of electricity from renewable sources to 50 percent by 2030. In Arizona, the campaign has become the costliest in state history.

October 19, 2018 - The Arizona Republic

Vancouver

Op-Ed: Treat Vancouver Election as a Referendum on Zoning Decisions

The decision to rezone most of Vancouver to allow for duplexes could have consequences in this weekend's municipal election.

October 18, 2018 - The Vancouver Sun

Tacoma Washington

Tacoma Setting Land Use Barriers for Fossil Fuel

Even with a year-long halt on new projects, the city is grappling with plans for industrial land use.

October 18, 2018 - Sightline Institute

Central Waterfront Toronto

Toronto's Quayside Will Be Plugged In, But the Risks for Residents Are Unclear

Technology will be part of everyday life in a new Toronto neighborhood, planned by Sidewalk Labs. But looking to the future is also raising a host of privacy concerns.

October 18, 2018 - The Star

Electric Car Charging

Electric Vehicles See Progress at Local Level but Setbacks in Washington

The new IPCC report calls for decarbonization of transportation. While many cities are attempting to do their part, two recent federal developments in trade policy and tax legislation threaten to will make progress more difficult.

October 17, 2018 - CityLab

Lake Powell

Utah's Campaign to Deregulate Public Lands

Newly obtained documents reveal the extent of the state's efforts to strip protections from federal lands around the United States.

October 17, 2018 - Pacific Standard

Southwest LRT

Contractors in Limbo While Southwest LRT Waits for Federal Funding Promise

More evidence that the Federal Transit Administration under the Trump Administration isn't interested in capital investments.

October 17, 2018 - Star Tribune

egislative Assembly of Ontario

The Cost of Ending Cap and Trade in Ontario: $3 Billion

The fallout from Ontario Premier Doug Ford's decision to pull the province from the Western Climate Initiative, a cap-and-trade program linked with Quebec and California.

October 16, 2018 - The Star

Potomac River

Where Virginia's Innovative Climate Fund Went Wrong

Virginia designed a promising way to bolster coastal areas vulnerable to sea-level rise. But it was never funded.

October 16, 2018 - Governing

Gas Pump

Gas Tax Politics at Play in Wisconsin Gubernatorial Race

Incumbent Republican Gov. Scott Walker charges that his Democratic opponent, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers, will hike gas taxes by as much as a dollar a gallon to fund road repair, on top of raising income and property taxes.

October 15, 2018 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Pumping Gas

Trump Announcement Unites Big Oil and Environmentalists

President Trump announced at a campaign rally in Iowa that he would lift the ban on summertime sales of a 15 percent blend of ethanol, expected to increase smog levels. Both environmentalists and the oil industry oppose the action.

October 14, 2018 - PBS NewsHour

United States map

Study: Older States Tend to Have Worse Finances

A report suggests that the older a state is, the more likely it is that special interests have entrenched themselves, negatively impacting the public purse.

October 13, 2018 - Governing

San Francisco Street

Deadly New York Limousine Crash Prompts Oversight Questions

The deadliest transportation accident in recent years has some asking whether more can be done to regulate modified vehicles, including limos.

October 12, 2018 - NPR

Voting

Should Planners Run for Public Office?

In an opinion piece bemoaning the passage of legislation that gives the BART board new land use planning authority, BART Director Deborah Allen argues that planners won't make good directors because they lack independence.

October 12, 2018 - East Bay Times

New Jersey Transit

Audit of New Jersey Transit Highlights Problems to Address

The agency is facing a multitude of funding, management, and organizational challenges.

October 12, 2018 - The New York Times

Downtown Detroit

Big Redevelopment Plan for Detroit Neighborhood, But Little Progress

The Detroit project was slated to become a massive sports and entertainment district. After five years, little has changed.

October 11, 2018 - The Guardian

Del Mar Station TOD

Another SB 827? Ambitious California Housing Bill Isn't Quite Dead Yet

It received a lot of press, but ultimately California's Senate Bill 827 went nowhere. Now, the state senator who introduced the bill is working with advocates who opposed it on another version that just might have better chances.

October 11, 2018 - Curbed Los Angeles

Alberta Oil Sands

ExxonMobil's $1 Million Gift to Fight Climate Change Through Carbon Pricing

Two days after a Nobel prize was awarded to William Nordhaus for his work on carbon taxes to address climate change, the largest American oil and gas company announced a $1 million contribution to a group promoting a carbon fee and dividend plan.

October 11, 2018 - The Washington Post

California

Brown Signs Housing, Transportation, Clean Energy Laws

On his way out the door, California Governor Jerry Brown created plenty of opportunities for the next administration to continue in his footsteps.

October 10, 2018 - The Planning Report

Sockeye Salmon

Alaskans to Choose Between Salmon Habitat Protections and Resource Extraction

A contentious initiative on the Alaska ballot next month pits protecting salmon habitat protections against the interests of the oil and gas industry and mining companies.

October 10, 2018 - NPR

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.