Government / Politics
When City Planning Fails: Taking a Single Hotel Development to the Ballot
What Happens When A Beverly Hills Developer Decides A Ballot Initiative Is Easier than the Planning Process?
Pittsburgh's Lessons for Los Angeles and Beyond: Reinvest in Planning
The rules are changing, Tom Murphy says, and cities need to change, too.
How Los Angeles Redefined Mobility as a Service
Los Angeles Department of Transportation General Manager Seleta Reynolds discusses her vision for urban mobility and the growing role of city leadership.
Billboards Having a Moment in Philadelphia
A proposal to add billboard advertisements to a pair of city-owned buildings come at a time when residents, and the federal government, are already concerned about the proliferation of billboards in the city.
The Promise and Significance of Planning Month
This October, the American Planning Association celebrated National Community Planning Month, or #PlanningMonth for short.
U.S. District Court Judge Approves $14.7 Billion Settlement in VW Emissions Scandal
The record deal between Volkswagen, the federal government, California, and consumers directs $5 billion to states to mitigate air pollution. The remainder will be used to compensate consumers who purchased the tampered diesel cars.
Stunning Acquittal of Defendants in Standoff with Feds at Oregon Wildlife Refuge
Will the acquittal of seven defendants in a U.S. district court who used force to occupy the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon last January embolden other takeovers of public lands by resentful ranchers or militia?
How *Not* To Do Economic Development
It's clear that New Jersey’s economic development planners didn't spend much time thinking about opportunity costs when they approved $1.1 billion in tax incentives under the Grow NJ program.
Lack of State, Local Infrastructure Investments Slowing the U.S. Economy
The Wall Street Journal builds a case that a slow down in state and local infrastructure investments is having a broad impact on the national economy.
Detroit Ballot Measure Puts Regional Transit in Reach
Involving four counties and $4.6 billion, the measure proposes a system that could put a million residents (and a million jobs) within a quarter mile of transit.
Study: Local Roads in California 'At Risk' Due to Lack of Funding
A coalition of local governmental agencies and advocates released their 2016 report on the condition of local streets and roads in California, and they found dire underinvestment. The legislature has yet to convene a special session on funding.
Behind the Popularity of Transportation Tax Increases
Transportation ballot measures are popular this November: over 70 populate ballots across the country. In California and elsewhere, they supplement declining federal and state funds for local infrastructure.
In the U.S., Climate Politics Trump the Pope's Message
The encyclical "Laudato si: On the Care of Our Common Home" might have scored public relations points among environmentalists last year, but according to a new study, it didn't score any points with Catholics or the broader U.S. population.
Baltimore's New Zoning Code Almost a Done Deal
The Baltimore City Council granted initial approval for the city's first zoning code overhaul in over 40 years.
DART Board Splits with Dallas Council on Subway Priority
The DART Board decided to move forward with a financial plan that funds both the Cotton Belt light rail line and the D2 subway.
The Critical Role of Down-Ballot Races in State Transportation Funding
The overwhelming majority of states that increased gas taxes last year were Republican-controlled. In states where the legislature is split, it's more difficult to approve transportation funding legislation. Down-ballot races may prove decisive.
Are States Too Active or Not Active Enough? Yes.
State governments like to limit local taxing authority but not local zoning—maybe they should do the exact opposite.
Surprisingly Few People Make a Lot of Airport Noise Complaints
A new study has found that just a handful of people are responsible for the majority of noise complaints directed toward airports.
'The World's Urban Planner': UN-Habitat's Joan Clos
The phrase "everything on the street" captures UN-Habitat head Joan Clos's approach to urbanization. In the wake of Habitat III, who is the man behind the conference's "New Urban Agenda"?
A Transportation Benefit District That Also Benefits the Police Department
The city of Woodland, Washington, offers a case study in government funding. Voters there will consider a sales tax as part of its transportation benefit district, but the benefit could extend to the police department as well.
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
