Government / Politics

HUD

Is Now Really the Time to Cut HUD Funds for Renters?

The Secretary of Urban Housing and Development wants to make renters "independent," but at least two experts say that's a terrible idea.

November 6, 2017 - Urban Institute

Smart City Expo World Congress to Focus on Citizen Empowerment and Mobility

The event will focus on the strategies to empower metropolises and their citizens through active participation, critical reflection, awareness and access. The new Smart Mobility World Congress will be a global mobility hub.

November 3, 2017 - Cities of the Future

Washington

Washington Gets Its Marine Spatial Plan

The Pacific Northwest's competing and sometimes conflicting stakeholders have created a master plan for the use—and also the preservation—of marine resources.

November 3, 2017 - Sightline Institute

Supreme Court

U.S. Supreme Court Won't Overturn California's Inclusionary Zoning Laws

The U.S. Supreme Court turned down a case with the potential to eradicate inclusionary zoning and in-lieu housing fees in the state of California.

November 3, 2017 - Los Angeles Times

Capitol Hill

Caps on Mortgage Interest, Property Tax Deductions Included in Republican Tax Reform Package

The mortgage interest deduction would be capped, as would property tax deductions, under a sweeping tax reform package proposed today by Republicans.

November 2, 2017 - The New York Times

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Voters Could Eliminate Property Taxes

A measure on the Pennsylvania statewide ballot in next Tuesday's election would change the state's constitution to allow local jurisdictions the ability to eliminate property taxes.

November 2, 2017 - WHYY

Colorado Homes

Home Builders Oppose Changes to Property Tax, Mortgage Interest Deductions

The National Association of Home Builders has decided that the Republican tax reform proposal would lower property values.

November 1, 2017 - USA Today

State Capitol

Budget Gap Spotlights Oklahoma's Onerous Three-Fourths Supermajority Requirement

California legislators have it easy compared to their counterparts in Oklahoma and Arkansas who seek to increase revenue through tax increases. A bill to hike gasoline and cigarette taxes and revise alcohol taxes faces a high hurdle.

November 1, 2017 - KFOR-TV

Uber

Op-Ed: Ride Sharing Tax Will Help Poor

Chicago's Mayor Emanuel's proposed tax would be used for the benefit of transit.

October 31, 2017 - The Washington Post

Wine Country Fires

Three Congressional Bills Respond to Western Wildfires

Two GOP bills and one bipartisan Senate bill hope to reduce the wildfire risk in the West. The "Wildfires Management Act of 2017" is sponsored by the two Republican senators of Idaho and three of the four Democratic senators of Washington and Oregon.

October 30, 2017 - The Associated Press

Apartment for Rent

Rent Control Advocates Turn to California's Initiative Process after Bill Fails

A statewide initiative has been filed by California tenant activists that would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Act, the 1995 legislation that restricts the type of rental housing regulated by local rent control ordinances.

October 27, 2017 - The Sacramento Bee

Prospect Hill Park, Waltham, MA

Eminent Domain Cases Roil Communities Across Massachusetts

Several communities across Massachusetts are looking to take private property to build new schools.

October 27, 2017 - Boston Globe

North Carolina Map

Friday Eye Candy: Highly Detailed Cold War Era Soviet Maps of the U.S.

A new book sheds light on maps created by cartographers in the Soviet Union that dove into remarkable detail about buildings, transportation networks, and other infrastructure in cities across the United States and around the world.

October 27, 2017 - National Geographic

Southwest Chief

An Amtrak Train Runs Through Them

Efforts to ensure that Amtrak's Southwest Chief continues its current route through three states has united more than 20 small communities in New Mexico, Colorado, and Kansas.

October 26, 2017 - The Denver Post

Gas Pump

California Gas Tax Repeal Provokes Internecine Republican Conflict

Chances for a repeal of California's 12-cents gas tax increase have doubled in that two measures aim to qualify for the November 2018 ballot. The initiatives are opposed by the state's major business groups that usually side with Republican causes.

October 25, 2017 - CALmatters

Prototypes for Trump's Border Wall Now on View in California

The U.S.-Mexico border between San Diego and Tijuana received eight controversial additions over the weekend.

October 24, 2017 - New York Daily News

Tolling the Interstates: Will Indiana be the First?

Indiana is on track to be the first state to apply new tolls on all lanes of selected interstate highways if they are successful in their application for a waiver from the Federal Highway Administration.

October 23, 2017 - The Times of Northwest Indiana

Intersection

Confronting Wisconsin's $1.1 Billion Highway Widening Proposal

A coalition of environmentalists, civil rights activists, and other community interests teamed up to successfully oppose a Milwaukee highway widening proposal. In an interview, one of the leading lawyers discusses his work.

October 23, 2017 - Streetsblog USA

New York Vacant Storefront

Data Shows a Tepid Post-2008 Recovery in America's Cities

According to data compiled by the Lincoln Institute, public revenue and spending on the local and municipal levels hasn't truly bounced back following the Great Recession.

October 23, 2017 - Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Wood Fire Smoke

California to Implement Wood Smoke Reduction Program

The program is voluntary, providing incentives to replace older, uncertified wood stoves for cleaner replacements or alternatives. In addition to decreasing air pollution, it reduces emissions of a "super climate pollutant," black carbon.

October 21, 2017 - California State Senate

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.

Senior Planner

planning NEXT

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

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