Government / Politics

The Nation’s Fastest Growing Town Needs More Water
Cheap water flows freely to the golf courses of St. George, Utah, but all the new residents mean it’s going to have to increase supply or reduce demand—or both.

Oregon's 86 Opportunity Zones Include 'High Rent' Districts in Portland
Oregon is the latest state to join the nascent federal program, which is designed to stimulate investment in distressed areas.

New Chapter in the San Francisco Scooter Wars: Removal
The city attorney vows to bring order to the streets (and sidewalks) of San Francisco by requiring electric scooter share companies to apply for permits. First step: all e-scooters must be removed by June 4, or risk a $100 fine per day per scooter.

Lago Approaches New York City as a 'City of Neighborhoods'
The latest installment of the "Planners Across America" series features New York City Planning Director and Planning Commission Chair Marisa Lago.

Pedestrians Not Allowed Within Three Feet of Cars in Dayton
The new law is billed as a pedestrian safety measure, which is just one of the problems with the law according to critics.

Raising the Meal Tax to Pay for Affordable Housing
Is anybody up for happy hour in Alexandria?

California Poll: Voters Likely to Repeal 12-Cents Gas Tax Increase in November
It's not looking good for transportation advocates who want to retain over $5 billion in annual transportation funding made possible the passage of a bill last year that enabled the first gas tax increase in California since 1994.

Mobility as a Symphony: Los Angeles Prepares for Transportation of the Future
LADOT is rehearsing now for the day it has to manage autonomous vehicles alongside delivery drones and air taxis.

EPA to Rescind Flammable Chemical Regulations Crafted After 2013 Explosion
A deadly explosion in West, Texas spurred the Obama administration to update regulations to the chemical industry.

How Best to Pay for Park, Wildlife, and Water Improvements
Only one of the five propositions on California's June primary ballot is a general obligation bond measure. Prop. 68 authorizes $4 billion for projects benefiting parks and water quality. Opponents prefer a pay-as-you-go approach using general funds.

No Opposition to California Proposition Promoting Stormwater Capture
Voters looking for a reason to vote against Prop 72, which provides a tax break for homeowners who install rainwater capture systems, won't find one. None were submitted. Proponents of measures for parks, climate, and transportation are not so lucky.

The Endangered Rent-Stabilized Apartment in New York City
Laws that control rent-stabilized apartments have been weakened over the last 25 years while the surging economy drives many of these units into the free market.

Details of the Golden State's Residential Solar Requirement
San Francisco Chronicle energy reporter David R. Baker sheds some light on the nation's first state building code requiring that solar panels be included in new home construction, adopted by the California Energy Commission on May 9.

L.A.'s Anti-Density Advocate Still Hopes to Make Planners 'Uncomfortable'
One of the main forces behind Measure S spills her thoughts on Hollywood, homelessness and what’s wrong with planning in Los Angeles.

Federal Judge Strikes Down Oakland's Ban on Coal Exports
Shipping coal from Utah to export to Asia through a new cargo facility in Oakland, California took a significant step forward on May 15 with a strongly worded ruling condemning the adequacy of the city of Oakland's environmental analysis.

Dallas Considers a Major Revision to its Tree Ordinance
Neither environmentalists nor developers like the city’s current regulations around tree removal, but there is praise on both sides for the “smart and nimble” new version.

Priced Lane or Priced Roadway?
The Pacific Northwest's Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area is studying options to add congestion pricing to one or two interstates.

The Cost of Solving Homelessness in Seattle: $400 Million
It’s "dramatically higher" than any number under discussion, and not even close to what the city will raise with its new tax on large businesses.

San Diego County Officials Ask State to Lower Housing Production Goal
The San Diego Association of Governments requested that the number of new housing units that the state housing agency assign the state's second largest county be reduced to more accurately reflect what the 18 cities and county can actually build.
Coal Power Plants to Retire Faster Under Trump
Coal plants will retire faster than analysts had figured under the Clean Power Plan, which the Trump administration is repealing, yet the Department of Energy proposes to make building new coal plants a centerpiece of its energy policy.
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