Government / Politics
Defeating SB 827 Did Not Discourage the YIMBY Movement
Though the California housing bill was a high-profile failure for pro-development activists, there are initiatives all over the country that carry its spirit.
Why Equity Groups Opposed California Legislation to Increase Housing Production
YIMBYs don't understand poverty, claimed one social justice group. Few, if any, connections with equity groups and too many with tech companies may have helped doom SB 827's chances of making it to first base in the legislature this year.
On the Do's and Don'ts of Housing Policy
Brookings has put together nine rules for more cohesive and effective housing policy, despite federalism's tendency to create near-infinite local variety.
Robotics and the City: 3 Global Examples
Three case studies of robotics technology integrated into the design and management of urban settings offers a glimpse of a potential future.
Report: More Mortgage Interest Deduction Goes to the Wealthy After Changes
Changes to the Mortgage Interest Deduction ostensibly made the housing subsidy more progressive. The real consequences of the change, however, make the deduction "significantly more inequitable that it was in years past."
Concerns About Census 2020, As Told by GIFs
Interested observers have been sounding the alarms about the federal government's readiness and commitment level for the 2020 Census.
Lawsuit Challenges the Trump Administration's Approach to Fair Housing
Housing Advocates have filed a lawsuit to press the Department of Housing and Urban Development to enforce requirements of the Fair Housing Act.
California as a Model for Housing Legislation
The Golden State may have the nation's most severe housing crisis, but there is one area of state housing policy where it shines, becoming a model for other states that want to advance accessory dwelling units, also called granny or in-law units.
How the Lights in Our Cities Became Too Bright
“Why are lighting designers and experts nearly unified in their belief that outdoor lighting in past years has been excessive?”
Can Density Prevent Diabetes?
In Australia, a new study will determine the best ways to make high-density developments healthy places to live.
Express Lanes Toll Revenue Benefits Bus Riders, Carpoolers, and Bike Riders
The new 66 Express Lanes Inside the Beltway made headlines when one-way tolls topped $40. Max Smith of WTOP News reports how revenues are used in Northern Virginia. Bus transit and shuttles to park-and-ride lots are two of the biggest beneficiaries.
Another EPA Rollback, Tailor-Made for Gov. Walker and Southeast Wisconsin
Politics and economics win over public health in Racine County as the EPA exempted the area around the Foxconn's massive facility from meeting stricter ozone pollution standards, saving the company from investing in smog-reducing equipment.
Op-Ed: 'Public Mood' Has Turned Against Cars in Cities
A survey of recent planning decisions demonstrates that cities are no longer necessarily looking to more and bigger highways to solve their traffic problems.
Op-Ed: It's Time for a Weakened Mortgage Interest Deduction To Go
Last year's tax reform bill seriously curtailed the mortgage interest deduction, despite its reputation for untouchability. Perhaps lawmakers should get rid of it entirely.
California and 16 States Sue EPA Over Decision to Rollback Vehicle Emissions Rule
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt had announced the rollback of greenhouse gas emission and fuel economy standards on April 2. While the auto industry supports the move, not all auto executives agreed.
Transit Systems, Advertising, and Free Speech: Lawsuit Puts Big Debate to the Test
The ACLU is bringing a lawsuit against SEPTA, saying the transit agency's advertising policy runs afoul of the First Amendment. Some $16 million in annual revenue is at stake.
It’s Time to Build New, Mixed-Income Public Housing
Interview with the co-author of the report "Social Housing in the United States," on the politics of home ownership, why public housing needs to be mixed-income, and providing adequate, affordable housing to all citizens.
New Housing Law Empowers Renters Group to Sue Cities that Deny New Construction
The California Renters Legal Advocacy and Education Fund, unlike other renters groups, sees increased housing production as key to bringing down rents. It is enforcing the Housing Accountability Act in cities that arbitrarily deny new construction.
A Planner Goes To City Hall
Longtime planner and journalist Bill Fulton took on a side-project in the 2000s: a seat on the city council and then mayorship of the city of Ventura, California. Fulton's new book Talk City offers a real-time account of local politics.
Train Buffs: Do You Know What a ZEMU Is?
In addition to commuter trains hauled by an electric or diesel-powered locomotive, there are EMUs and DMUs, and come 2021, for the first time in North America, there should be a ZEMU thanks in part to a $30 million California transportation grant.
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.
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
