Government / Politics
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.
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.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
