Government / Politics
20 Finalists Announced in the 'Canada Smart Cities Challenge'
The winner of the Grand Prize for the Canada Smart Cities Challenge will receive $50 million CAD ($38.5 million USD).
Seattle Planning Director Pursues Equity Amid a Pro-Growth Agenda
An interview with Seattle Planning Director Sam Assefa for the latest installment of the "Planners Across America" series.
When 160 Mayors Talk About the State of the City
An annual report aggregates the State of the City speeches of mayors all over the country.
Prominent St. Louis Developer Accused of Fraud
The local developer is accused of inflating property values and defrauding a program meant to spur investment in distressed areas.
Editorial Exposes Bay Area Housing Hypocrisy
Cities can't have it both ways on the housing crisis, asserts an SF Chronicle editorial. Case in point: Berkeley passes a resolution to declare homelessness a state of emergency while opposing legislation to allow BART to develop its parking lots.
Where Republican Mayors Are Taking Leadership on Climate Change
(Even if they don't talk about it very much.)
Bad Break for Scooter Rental Company in its Hometown
Years before there was e-scooter-share, there was electric (Vespa-like) scooter-share in San Francisco by start-up Scoot. Now that they are ready to launch electric bikeshare, the city won't let them, unlike Barcelona, Spain where it began service.
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.
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
