Government / Politics

Climate Change

The Next Environmental Stewards

The research is clear: For climate leadership, look no further than young people, people of color, and young people of color.

September 20, 2018 - The Hill

BMW Electric Vehicle

Gov. Jerry Brown Signs 16 Bills to Spur Sales of New and Used Electric Vehicles

On the second day of the Global Climate Action Summit, co-host Gov. Jerry Brown signed 16 bills onboard a new plug-in hybrid electric ferry in San Francisco Bay to spur sales of zero-emission vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

September 20, 2018 - The Sacramento Bee

Protected bike lane New York

Protected Bike Lanes: How New York City Made It Happen

While resistance to protected bike lanes can be high, the economic and safety paybacks are substantial.

September 20, 2018 - Greater Greater Washington

Small cell antenna

Not All Municipalities Are Excited About the Arrival of 5G. But They May Not Have a Choice.

Pennsylvania legislation would make it harder for communities to regulate the new wireless network infrastructure.

September 18, 2018 - PlanPhilly

Electric Car Charging Station

Phasing Out the Internal Combustion Engine No Easy Task

A report from the Global Climate Action Summit on a looming deadline set by the Paris climate agreement: ending sales of new gas and diesel-powered light-duty vehicles by 2035.

September 18, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Kansas City skyline

Study of Evictions in Kansas City Provides Insight Into a National Problem

A new report on eviction data from Kansas City reveals systematic factors related to the housing crisis.

September 18, 2018 - How Housing Matters

South San Jose houses

Through Thick and Thin, Support for California’s Proposition 13 Hasn’t Waned

Since its passage 40 years ago, the controversial legislation has remained consistently popular with Californians.

September 18, 2018 - CALmatters

Proterra Electric Bus

How U.S. Cities Are Taking Climate Action

A new survey identified the top climate strategies favored by municipalities around the country.

September 17, 2018 - Smart Cities Dive

Atlanta public library

‘Social Infrastructure’ and the Interactions That Bond Us

Richard Florida talks with sociologist Eric Klinenberg about his new book and the places and organizations that help hold society together.

September 17, 2018 - CityLab

Jerry Brown

California's Climate Leadership Put to the Test

A three-day global summit on climate action in San Francisco, hosted by Gov. Jerry Brown, is unlike other international climate summits in that it features "non-state actors," such as governors, mayors, and businesses, rather than nations.

September 15, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Methane

Latest Obama-Era Regulations Targeted by the Trump Administration: Methane Rules

One Obama-era climate regulation still on the books deals with methane leakage from oil and gas wells. The greenhouse gas is 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Another methane regulation targeted deals with flaring on federal lands.

September 13, 2018 - The New York Times

Natural Resources Conservation Service's Wetlands Reserve Program

Proposed State-Level Wetlands Regulations in California: Protections and Complications

The state is seeking to protect wetlands from federal regulation rollbacks, but broader protections could also mean more costly and cumbersome processes.

September 13, 2018 - Water Deeply

Security Camera

Homeland Security Grants Aim to Harden Transit

Amtrak and a range of big city transit agencies have received federal grants to upgrade their security in the face of terrorism.

September 12, 2018 - Progressive Railroading

BART Station construction

San Jose BART Extension Facing More Delays

Service on a long-awaited BART extension to the Berryessa district in San Jose may be delayed again due to equipment problems.

September 11, 2018 - The Mercury News

Apartment Building

Minneapolis Mayor Pushing to Fund a Slew of Programs to Make Housing More Affordable

Mayor Jacob Frey wants $40 million of the city’s budget to fund programs related to housing affordability.

September 11, 2018 - MinnPost

New York City

A New York City Planner’s Long and Influential History

A look back at Purnima Kapur’s career highlights the long-term impacts of her planning work.

September 10, 2018 - Crain's New York Business

Keep it in the Ground – 2018

As climate hawks gather in San Francisco for the Global Climate Action Summit that convenes Wednesday, Gov. Jerry Brown, host of the summit, is dogged by critics who can't distinguish between oil production and consumption.

September 10, 2018 - CALmatters

Pearl District

Parsing a Portland Rent Check to See Where the Money Goes

A deep dive into what a Portland rent check pays for sheds light on strategies to help lower rising rents.

September 9, 2018 - Sightline Institute

The Far-Reaching Consequences of Remaking the Mercury Emissions Rule

The EPA intends to review the rulemaking process behind the mercury rule, the subject of a landmark Supreme Court ruling in 2015, to place more value on a rule's compliance cost to industry and less to its beneficial impact on human health.

September 9, 2018 - The New York Times

Smart Transport Policies for Global Sustainable Development Goals

Transport policy reforms help achieve many Sustainable Development Goals, including poverty reduction; access to healthcare, education, employment, and clean water; gender equality; better settlements; energy conservation; and emission reductions.

September 8, 2018 - Partnership on Sustainable Low Carbon Transport

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.