Government / Politics
One Developer's Idea for Regional Housing Solutions in Southern California
New housing development is off to a slow start in Los Angeles in 2017. Although the city defeated an anti-growth ballot measure, LA is still faced with a number of policy and legal challenges to building an adequate supply of affordable housing.
U.S. Conference of Mayors Sets Target for 100 Percent Renewable Energy
The Annual Meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors wrapped up in Miami Beach earlier this week, culminating with a display of climate change solidarity.
Planning's New Rivalry: Housing Advocates vs. Radical Left
As the YIMBY movement has gained momentum in high-cost cities, advocates for social justice and subsidized housing have taken aim, claiming that YIMBY's pro-development stance aligns them with predatory capitalism and neoliberalism.
L.A. Metro CEO Challenges Trump on Infrastructure Funding
President Trump’s most recent transportation budget is projected to cut transportation spending by 13 percent, potentially undercutting many of Los Angeles' ambitious projects to continue the build-out of a full public transportation system.
West Virginia Becomes the Seventh State to Hike Gas Taxes, But Not by Much
Democratic Gov. Jim Justice signed legislation to increase its 32.2 cent state gas tax by about 3.5 cents per gallon and add substantial hybrid and EV fees. He also signed legislation to increase and expand road and bridge tolling.
Three Questions to Ask Yourself About Climate Action
Looking for ways to make a difference in advocating for climate friendly policies? Start with three simple questions.
Trump Budget Would Cut PILT Funding to Rural Communities
Sparsely-populated rural counties with large amounts of public land stand to lose the most if the Trump Administration succeeds in cutting funding to the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program.
Lowest Gas Prices in 12 Years Contribute to Record Travel This Holiday Weekend
Two new reports on transportation funding issued in advance of the July 4th weekend focus attention on gas prices and vehicle travel. Seven states will increase gas taxes on July 1 according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.
Seattle Tackling Equity Challenges With Global Lens
Seattle is faced with an affordable housing crisis that has led the new Planning & Community Development Director Sam Assefa to look globally for solutions.
Do Members of Congress Need a Housing Stipend?
The cost of living in Washington, D.C. might make it difficult for less wealthy members of Congress to pay rent or mortgages in their home state and the seat of power. Thus, a surprising voice has suggested housing assistance for Congress.
Public-Private Partnerships: Cost-Effective or Cash Cow?
Public-private partnerships between local governments and private contractors have the Trump Administration's favor. But in a "P3 market in its infancy," can they cut costs or simply line pockets?
A Church Playground Controversy Grew Into a Supreme Court Decision
A decision by the U.S. Supreme Court this week could reframe the separation of church and state, especially with regard to the flow of public funding and aid programs.
Bloomberg Announces $200 Million 'American Cities Initiative'
The former mayor of New York is launching the "American Cities Initiative." The initiative comes with a scathing critique of the federal government's treatment of urban areas.
Three Bay Area Counties May Decide Whether to Support Caltrain with Sales Tax Measure
The oldest commuter rail line west of the Mississippi is also unique in another way—it lacks a dedicated source of operating revenue. Legislation has been introduced to allow Peninsula counties to vote to increase sales taxes by 0.125 percent.
The State of Affordable Housing
An in-depth feature in Architect magazine surveys the affordable housing landscape and finds architects, planners, and developers trying to find a better way through an inefficient system.
Prop. 13 Will Blunt the Property Tax Windfall as Boomers Transfer Property to Millennials
The benefits of Prop 13's limit on property taxes will pass from generation to generation in California, at the expense of state and local coffers.
Business Owners Vote to Fund Sacramento Streetcar Operations
The two-thirds threshold proved to be no obstacle for Sacramento streetcar proponents in a special election held June 21, when at least *250 businesses owners voted to tax themselves to fund operations of the proposed streetcar.
Will Alaska Return Millions of Dollars for Bike and Pedestrian Projects to the Feds, Again?
Last year, Alaska returned $2.6 million of its 2013 Transportation Alternatives Program funding to the U.S. Department of Transportation due to a shortage of eligible projects to fund, despite having four years to obligate the grant money.
A Concerning Lack of Tribal Participation in Tacoma Tidelands Planning
The editors of the Tacoma Weekly speculate that someday governments might uphold their agreements. They don't expect the Tacoma Tideland sub area plan to be one of those times.
Overcoming Density Opponents by Listening to Them
Urbanist Brent Toderian does not begrudge NIMBYs; he values them. In an interview with David Roberts of Vox, he explains that the problem doesn't lie with development opponents as much as it does with the decision-makers.
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
