Government / Politics
To Bring Water to the Village, Teach Villagers About Water
In Nicaragua, villagers' access to freshwater resources is sometimes impeded by a gap in coordination between the self-governing indigenous communities present there. WaterAid worked with locals in one village to change just that.
Planetizen Week in Review: August 1, 2016
Political junkies, map nerds, and transit fans all got plenty of big news to digest during the last week of July 2016.
A Side-by-Side Comparison of Infrastructure Policy Platforms
The Republican and Democratic parties both claim to understand the importance of infrastructure, but they show support in vastly different ways.
Walkability Reaches a Tipping Point
With the rise of globalization, and urbanization, people are rethinking how cities should be structured in terms of transportation and mobility. Is it possible to reconfigure auto-centric cities into pedestrian-friendly spaces?
Trump to Cities: You're Dead to Me
Donald Trump invokes the darkest days of urban decay and crime to appeal to his base. The facts speak to an urban triumph that has led to greater national prosperity and higher standards of living for tens of millions of Americans.
Effort Underway to Halt Pennsylvania's Gas Tax Increase
Pennsylvania has the nation's highest state gas and diesel taxes, 51.4 cents per gallon and 65.1 cents per gallon, respectively. Both are scheduled to increase up to 10 cents on Jan 1. A bill has been introduced to halt all future fuel tax increases.
Talking Points for an Urban Agenda at the Democratic National Convention
Next City has released what it's calling an "urbanist's guide" to the Democratic National Convention.
Planetizen Week in Review: July 25, 2016
The Republic National Convention dominated the news last week, and for good reason. There was also eye candy for New York transit advocates and lots of new housing research to enjoy.
Republicans Reveal an Anti-Urban, Anti-Public Transit Platform
The Grand Old Party platform calls for an end to using gas taxes for public transit as well as other non-road purposes like "bike-sharing," opposes increases to the 23-year-old gas tax, and would eliminate the U.S. DOT Livability Initiative.
Participatory Budgeting Catching on in the U.S. and Canada
A new report from Public Agenda tracks the spread of participatory budgeting, and provides guidance for implementing such processes for maximum benefit to public engagement.
San Francisco Shifts Maintenance Burden for Street Trees Back to the City
Three proposed legislative measures would undo one of the more obvious signs of the recession, and return the responsibility for street trees to the city.
The Toxic State of Public Discourse and How to Clean It Up
Dave Biggs interviews author James Hoggan about his new book, "I'm Right and You're An Idiot: The Toxic State of Public Discourse and How to Clean It Up."
$1.25 Billion Approved for Caltrain Electrification; More Funding Needed
At their July 7 meeting, the Caltrain Joint Powers Board, a 3-county body that administers the crowded San Jose-to-San Francisco commuter rail line, unanimously approved $1.25 billion in contracts to rail and infrastructure firms for electrification.
Portland Seeks Affordability By Subtracting Parking
Portland's City Council has sided with housing advocates against neighborhood groups who wanted new developments to include parking spaces.
Borders From Above Are More Than Just Lines On A Map
International borders viewed from above show how different patterns of political, urban and agricultural development often collide.
Planetizen Week in Review: July 18, 2016
The Planetizen Week in Review is back.
Should We Stay or Should We Go? Low-Lying Coastal Towns Debate Choices
Two U.S. coastal communities are debating the merits of staying or leaving due to effects from climate change and rising sea levels
Seattle Mayor Proposes a More Inclusive Department of Neighborhoods
The leadership at the city of Seattle has noticed that the people representing neighborhoods on the city's district councils don't reflect the population of the city.
Op-Ed: We Shouldn't Rush to Regulate Airbnb
Is Airbnb a prime target for regulation, or is it just another way to expand the marketplace for bedrooms? Dan Bertolet urges caution. After all, couldn't less Airbnb just mean more hotels?
Atlanta and Suburbs to Hold Separate Transportation Sales Tax Votes in November
The 13 suburban cities of Fulton County agreed to a roads-only, .75-cent sales tax measure that needs to be approved by the county, while Atlanta voters will decide on a MARTA-only .50-cent sales tax. MARTA serves eight of the cities.
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 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
