Government / Politics

Parking Meter

'Smart' Parking Meters Issue Tickets From Afar

More tickets, fewer meter maids.

June 18, 2018 - NorthJersey

San Francisco City Hall

San Francisco's Next Mayor a Self-Described 'Pro-Housing' Politician With Support From YIMBYs

London Breed is the first African American female elected mayor of San Francisco, and she brings high hopes that a pro-development approach can help mitigate the city's housing affordability crisis.

June 18, 2018 - Medium

Nuclear Power

Trump Rebuffed by Federal Energy Commissioners on Coal and Nuclear Power Bailout

Last month the Trump administration directed Energy Secretary Rick Perry to require grid operators to purchase power from aging coal and nuclear power plants, enabling them to keep operating as a matter of "national security." Regulators disagree.

June 18, 2018 - InsideClimate News

Chicago Blue Line

Chicago's New Train to O'Hare Won't Be a Train—It's Elon Musk's 'Loop'

Loop, as in a derivation of Hyperloop, conceived by Elon Musk and to be built by his newest venture, The Boring Company, is the technology of choice for high-speed transit to O'Hare Airport.

June 16, 2018 - Chicago Tribune

Electric Scooters

A Kinder and Gentler Approach to Scooters

It's a temporary experiment, but Santa Monica will not cap the number of scooters operated by private companies in the city.

June 15, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Self-Driving Car

Wanted in the Autonomous Vehicles Debate: A Place at the Table for Local Authorities

How much should the federal government involve local authorities in crafting autonomous vehicle regulations? Officials in New York say they aren't being included enough.

June 15, 2018 - Route Fifty

California Big Sur

Initiative to Split California into Three States Qualifies for November Ballot

Should the "California Three States Initiative " pass on Election Day, the Golden State will be a step closer to splitting into three states: California, Northern California, and Southern California.

June 14, 2018 - The New York Times

Vinings, Cobb County

Cobb County, Georgia Preparing a Transit Wish List

Cobb County has been enabled by the state to raise taxes to fund transit expansions. Early planning efforts are expected to face political headwinds in a region known for opposing both taxes and transit.

June 14, 2018 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Seattle, Washington

The 'Head Tax' Failed in Seattle; Cities Still Want the Tax to Support Housing, Transit

If your city was home to some of the wealthiest, largest companies in the country, would you tax them to raise money for more housing and transit service?

June 13, 2018 - The Seattle Times

Subway Turnstiles

Means-Based, Transit-Fare Discounts Take a Leap Forward in the Big Apple

The 2019 New York City budget includes $106 million to subsidize half the transit fare for qualified residents for six months. The city joins the ranks of Seattle, Toronto, and the Bay Area that offer income-based discounts for transit fares.

June 13, 2018 - The New York Times

San Diego Gaslamp District

Looking Back to Find the Future of San Diego

An advocacy group is republishing the 1974 regional plan for sustainability, and finding that it's just as relevant now as it was then.

June 13, 2018 - Bisnow

Robert Weaver Building

Carson: HUD No Longer Raising Rents for Subsidized Households

Blame it on the federal budget, says Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Carson.

June 12, 2018 - The Hill

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao

TIGER Grants Are Back, But They're Called BUILD Grants Now

Promises (or fears) of the end of TIGER grant funding have proven unfounded thus far into the Trump Administration. Here's what's new with the U.S. Department of Transportation grant program formerly known as TIGER.

June 12, 2018 - CitiesSpeak

Renewable Diesel

California and Auto Industry Agree on Vehicle Emissions Standards

Normally having the California Air Resources Board and the auto industry in agreement on emissions standards would be enough, but the Trump administration wants to ensure that California plays no role in setting standards.

June 11, 2018 - Bloomberg News

Texas Suburb

Study: There's a Lot of Vacant Land in Texas Cities

All that empty acreage means that these big, rapidly developing cities don’t really have to sprawl.

June 11, 2018 - CommercialCafe

Missouri

Two States to Decide on Gas Tax Measures on Election Day

California voters will likely decide on whether to repeal a 12-cents gas tax increase while Missouri voters will decide whether to increase the state's 17-cents per gallon gas tax, fourth lowest in the nation, by 10-cents per gallon over four years.

June 11, 2018 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

In New Jersey, Beach Parking Located Right on the Sand

This summer, the seashore town of Wildwood is charging a fee for people with the right cars to park in a very convenient location.

June 11, 2018 - The New York Times

Downtown Phoenix Skyline

Phoenix Joins Growing List of Cities Suing Over Citizenship Question

Phoenix sues Trump over change to census questionnaire which some believe could cost the city $350 million in federal funding.

June 9, 2018 - The Nation

Bodys Isek Kingelez

Urban Utopias Under African Skies

An exhibit by Congolese artist Bodys Isek Kingelez at the Museum of Modern Art invokes urban idealism at the same time that it serves as a foil for poverty and deprivation in the megacities of the developing world.

June 7, 2018 - Josh Stephens

Bay Area Highway

Winners and Losers of the California Primary

With national media focused on individual candidates, propositions that dealt with park and water bonds, transportation spending, cap-and-trade, and rainwater may have been overlooked. Plus, a measure to increase bridge tolls in the Bay Area.

June 7, 2018 - The Sacramento Bee

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

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The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

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A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.