Government / Politics
Victory for Native Americans and Supporters at Standing Rock—for Now
The Army Corps of Engineers denied Energy Transfer Partners an easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline under Lake Oahe, advising them to explore alternative routing and conduct an environmental review, granting indigenous peoples a rare victory.
What it Takes To Pass a Transportation Sales Tax Measure in California
Ventura County's transportation sales tax measure failed after receiving almost 57 percent of the vote, illustrating the difficulty in passing tax measures intended for transportation improvements in California.
What Will A Trump Presidency Mean for Fair Housing?
Rules protecting minorities' access to housing have been strengthened under the Obama administration. That progress could be lost under a HUD Secretary who opposes Fair Housing altogether.
What Mobility Leaders Think About Car Connectivity
As autonomous vehicles prepare to disrupt transportation systems, Ford Motors President & CEO Mark Fields, L.A Chief Sustainability Officer Matt Petersen, and rideshare company Chariot co-founder Ali Vahabzadeh opine on tomorrow's mobility ecosystem.
California Using Data To Maximize Water Conservation Efforts
Even as the Golden State has a wetter fall, California's water leaders have launched a new tool to leverage information technology and available information to support decisions around local water reliability.
The Trump Administration: Good for Transit?
The conventional progressive wisdom is that the Trump Administration will be bad for cities and for transit users. But in recent decades, a unified Republican government has been better for public transit than a divided government.
Why Bother with Community Engagement?
What is the highest purpose of community engagement? Why do some planners go all out to hear from the public? This article dives into these questions based on nine interviews conducted at APA 2016.
Prime Minister Trudeau Approves Huge Expansion of Oil Sands Pipeline
The young prime minister's approval to almost triple the capacity of the Kinder Morgan pipeline comes as a surprise given Trudeau's concern for climate change. He approved another Alberta oil sands pipeline but rejected a third.
Mapping Los Angeles' Underutilized City-Owned Property
New data shows that the city of Los Angeles owns nearly 9,000 parcels throughout the region—and that it could be doing a lot more with them.
Bay Area Sends Mixed Message on BART Funding
BART won big on election night with the passage of Measure RR, a $3.5 billion infrastructure bond measure. But the San Francisco Chronicle observes that results from two other local ballot measures suggest a mixed message on the rapid transit system.
Tougher Background Checks for Massachusetts Uber, Lyft Drivers
The companies' agreement with Governor Charlie Baker's administration requires a state-run check in addition to the usual check through an independent contractor. Fingerprinting, however, will not be required.
Malign Neglect? Urban Policy in the Trump Era
How much do we have to fear from the president-elect's policy plans for urban America? We can hope that he will follow his party's playbook and largely ignore the cities, but potential changes to housing policy are more serious.
Trump Selects Elaine J. Chao, former Labor Secretary, as Transportation Secretary
Elaine Chao served all eight years as President George W. Bush's former Secretary of Labor and also under his father's administration as Deputy Secretary of Transportation. She is married to Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
The 'Night Mayor' Phenomenon Spreads
Managing cities' sometimes-turbulent relationship with their nightlife, "night mayors" help cities capitalize on an industry that has become a marker of urban prestige.
Chicago to Install New Parking Meters to Lessen Impact of Bad Contract
The city of Chicago will install 752 new parking meters in 2017—but still fall far from the Shoupian ideal.
An Argument for an Inefficient City, Starting with Spatial Justice
By taking a turtle for a walk, we can begin to take back our minds and bodies.
Fire Safety Testing Paves the Way for Timber Towers
A new kind of building will soon rise in the United States: the wooden tower. Extensive testing by the US Department of Agriculture and the timber industry will soon make timber viable for high-rise tower construction.
Broward County Voters Approve One Sales Tax Measure but Reject Another; Neither Passes
Had it not been for the political compromise that enabled it to be placed on the ballot, voters would have narrowly passed a county transportation sales tax measure. In neighboring Palm Beach County, a straight-forward sales tax measure passed.
Cities Can't Afford To Be 'Data Poor'
Fundamentally, we are at a critical turning point in terms of how we think about data and how we use data for governments and cities as well as businesses and other institutions.
Election Outcomes Put Atlanta Metro Region on Two Different Transportation Paths
Three sales tax measures in Fulton County all won on Nov. 8. Two city ballot measures sets a course for investment in public transit and active transportation for Atlanta, while Fulton County will invest in road projects to reduce traffic congestion.
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 Clovis
City of Moorpark
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
