Government / Politics
The Mason-Dixon Line Is Turning 250 Years Old
The traditional dividing line between north and south will celebrate a major birthday this weekend.
Congressional Democrats Propose $1.1 Billion for Smart Cities Programs
Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Congressman Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) have introduced bicameral, not bipartisan legislation to fund smart cities programs.
NAACP Lawsuit Targets the Trump Administration Over 2020 Census Preparation
The NAACP does not believe the Trump Administration intends to make an honest count of the country's minority populations when it comes time to perform the 2020 Census.
California Gas Tax Repeal Wins Significant Judicial Victory
The effort to repeal tax and fee increases resulting from the state's first successful gas tax legislation in 28* years received great news from a Sacramento superior court judge who tossed the attorney general's misleading title for their measure.
Up and Running: The Speedy Recovery of Houston's City Hall
Following Hurricane Harvey, Houston's City Hall became flooded with four feet of water, rendering the building's electrical and mechanical equipment useless. Restoring power back to City Hall quickly was crucial in aiding the recovery efforts.
Utah Policy Makers Want to Push a Toll Hike Higher
Utah's I-15 express lanes are suffering PM peak-hour congestion. The maximum charge is $1 per zone. The Transportation Commission will vote to double it, but the chair of a key legislative committee suggests charging "what the market will bear."
California's New 'By-Right' Housing Law: Will it Make a Difference?
A new law could enable affordable housing projects, if they meet the specified criteria, to bypass the public process that so often blocks their approval.
What's Behind the Removal of Public-Private Partnerships from Trump's Infrastructure Plan?
Partnering with the private sector carries risks. Witness the mess that followed the selection of a private firm to build an interstate in Indiana in 2014 that Vice President Mike Pence should have prevented in his prior position as governor.
How to Make NIMBYs Part of the Solution
A look at how to program social equity into the planning process, and balance NIMBY concerns with collective goals, by Howard Blackson, leader of AVRP SkyPort Studios Urban Design practice in San Diego.
California's 15 Housing Bills Won't Do Enough
At a new affordable housing project in a low-income neighborhood of San Francisco, Gov. Brown signed the package Friday that places a $4 billion housing bond on the ballot next year, adds a $75 real estate transaction fee, and streamlines permitting.
California Mulls Banning Sales of Cars with Internal Combustion Engines
Eying European and Asian countries that have set, or are considering timelines to ban sales of cars that emit greenhouse gases, the California governor asked his chief air regulator to see why California couldn't follow suit.
Major Changes Coming to British Columbia's Carbon Tax
The government of British Columbia, put in power this year with the help of the BC Green Party, is shoring up its climate change action resume.
High Speed Rail Transforming California's Housing, TOD Conversation
The California Legislature took steps to address the state's housing crisis this year, but housing activists might look to the Governor's High Speed Rail project to provide a link to affordable housing in the Central Valley.
Maryland's $9 Billion Project Would Be the Nation's Largest P3 for Highways
Gov. Larry Hogan (R-Md.) announced last week plans for the largest highway contract awarded to a public-private partnership: adding four express toll lanes to the Capital Beltway and I-270. A third highway widening will be completed internally.
Pittsburgh City Council Mulls Options for Affordable Housing Funding
Deciding to create an affordable housing trust fund is one thing, deciding how to fund it is another.
30 Years Later—The Montreal Protocol as Essential as Ever
At least this story is about what might have been if we hadn't passed environmental regulations, instead of what will happen if we don't.
States Sue Trump Administration Over Suspended Clean Transportation Rule
A coalition of government bodies from eight states around the country has sued the Trump Administration, claiming that the U.S. DOT unlawfully suspended an emissions accounting rule.
Miami Beach: A Model of Climate Adaptation for Coastal Cities?
How did the seven square mile, four-foot high barrier island in the Atlantic Ocean off Miami and Biscayne Bay hold-up to Hurricane Irma? The city arguably has done more to adapt to sea level rise in recent times than any other coastal city.
D.C. Auditor Reveals Blight Enforcement Shortcomings
There's a surprising amount of vacancies and blight in the nation's capital, and District officials aren't doing everything in their power to address the challenge.
Carson Op-Ed Lays Out the Trump Agenda for HUD
Ben Carson has penned an op-ed that lays out the ideology driving the Trump Administration's approach to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
