Government / Politics
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.
Good Political News for California High-Speed Rail
One of the major critics of the $64 billion project that would link Los Angeles and San Francisco just became a supporter, and that's really good news considering the project's major booster, Gov. Jerry Brown, will be leaving office in two years.
Los Angeles Hires New 'Homelessness Coordinator'
The new position will keep the city on track in its comprehensive strategy to aid the nearly 40,000 homeless people in Los Angeles.
Measuring Up to HUD's New Fair Housing Rules
After beefing up the 1968 Fair Housing Act, the feds are guiding cities to compliance.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
