Government / Politics
CEQA and the California Dream: No Marriage, Except for Attorneys
A Habitat for Humanity Project in Silicon Valley is stymied by an effective, CEQA-wielding attorney who doesn't want his home office views obstructed and more traffic in his neighborhood.
'Climate Gentrification' Is Exacerbating Economic Inequality in Miami
A new study shows that over the last several decades the price of real estate has been heavily influenced by the actual and anticipated effects of climate change.
Tips for Talking About Climate Change
Dr. Katharine Hayhoe is the leading expert in how to have difficult conversations about climate change—like the kind when facts aren't enough.
California's Great Transportation Divide—Between Two Key Governmental Agencies
Two powerful governmental bodies that deal with very different aspects of transportation—one with meeting mobility needs, the other with its impact on health and the environment—met formally for the first time on June 27.
What Do Affordable Housing Developers Think of California's Potential Rent Control Initiative?
A California November 2018 ballot initiative seeking to repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act could have unintended consequences, according to Related California's Bill Witte.
Advisory Committee Recommends Complete Tolling of Portland Interstates
A Portland regional value pricing committee recommended that the state transportation department operate two pilot programs to toll all the lanes on two interstate highways in the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area.
A Departing Blow to Clean Air on Pruitt's Final Day
Friday may have been disgraced EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt's last day in office of the agency in charge of protecting the nation's environment, but he still managed to roll back a regulation to create lasting air pollution far greater than VW did.
Los Angeles to Consider Public Bank for Housing and Cannabis
Voters will decide in November on the creation of a cannabis-friendly, publicly owned bank to invest in affordable housing.
Seattle Beats San Francisco to Plastic Straw and Utensil Ban
Seattle's ban took effect Sunday, while San Franciso's proposed legislation, if successful, would begin July 1, 2019. Other cities have plastic straw restrictions, but Seattle's is the first outright ban. Compostable alternatives are permitted.
EPA Chief Scott Pruitt Resigns
Climate change denier Scott Pruitt, head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, submitted his resignation on Thursday, to take effect July 6. On Monday, EPA Deputy Administrator Andrew R. Wheeler becomes the acting administrator.
An Appeal to Patriotism in the Hopes of Blocking a Canadian Bridge to Detroit
Border controversies now have a northern front, too.
Chicago Should Legalize A-Frame Signs, Alderman Says
A-frame sandwich board signs are illegal in Chicago, but they're widely used anyway.
L.A. Wants to Be the Epicenter of New Transportation Technology
Gabe Klein of CityFi outlines how Los Angeles is planning on implementing the Urban Mobility in a Digital Age report.
$2 Billion Bond Measure on California Ballot to House the Mentally Ill Homeless
The revenue bonds would be funded from a millionaires' surtax, approved by voters in 2004, to pay for health programs, but not housing, for the mentally ill. Also on ballot: a $4 billion general obligation bond measure to fund housing for veterans.
Koch Brothers Behind Local Transit Losses Nationwide
Public transit is increasingly a target of the Koch brothers' crusade against big government.
The New Supreme Court and the Future of Fair Housing
The retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy introduces the possibility that a future court will overturn the doctrine of disparate impact central to fair housing practices and policies.
Georgia's Conservative Path to a Solar Power Boom
Georgia politics haven't usually been friendly to renewable energy. But some unlikely alliances, and a healthy dose of economics, can go a long way.
Breaking Up Stockbridge; Georgia Looks to Make a New, Richer Suburb
Vikki Consiglio wants to create “high-end” town, leaving debt and poorer residents behind.
Uber Gets its License Back, Still on Probation, in London
London gave Uber a more than a slap on the wrist for the company's lack of concern about public safety. Uber demonstrated sufficient contrition to get back in the large, influential city's good graces.
Google Tax to Appear on November Ballot in Mountain View, California
If a majority of the city's voters approve the city-sponsored ballot measure, business license fees will change from a flat $30 annual fee to a new tax based on the number of employees, with the largest employer, Google, to pay $3.3 million.
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
