Government / Politics
Florida Approves Bill to Shake Up Transportation Project Process
Florida Governor Rick Scott signed an omnibus transportation bill earlier this week that makes a dozen changes to the work of the Florida Department of Transportation.
HUD Announces New $174 Million National Housing Trust Fund
A new federal housing program is unique in its approach but all too common in its scope.
Report: Increase Gas Tax to Solve Illinois' $43 Billion Transportation Problem
There's good news and bad news in a new report on the state of transportation infrastructure in the state of Illinois.
It's the Complexity, Stupid! (Try 'Splainin' that in an Elevator)
The dangerous absurdity of building a national—or a community—to-do list around fear, resentment, and wishful thinking
A Transportation Schism in the Atlanta Region
When suburban voters and political leaders oppose transit funding sales taxes, the entire region experiences the consequences. Atlanta is the latest case study in this political dynamic.
How to Rethink the Suburbs: A Lesson From Toronto
A new zoning law in Toronto could enable its hundreds of suburban tower developments to become vibrant and active communities.
A Reversal of Direction for TransCanada
TransCanada, the company that hoped to build a Canada-to-Gulf Coast pipeline, now wants to build one to carry Bakken oil from North Dakota to Canada, transporting oil now hauled only by trains that have caused recent deadly explosions.
San Francisco Teachers Could Get Eviction Protections
San Francisco may move to protect teachers from "no-fault" evictions during the school year.
Let's Talk About Civic Crowdfunding and Government Responsibility
A reply to skeptics about the democratic power and potential of civic crowdfunding platforms.
A Utopian Solution to NIMBYism and High Housing Costs
The housing shortages caused by restrictive zoning are easy to solve in principle—even if the solutions are politically impossible.
The Golden State of Disabled Drivers
"Something is wrong," proclaimed Los Angeles Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D), "when one in eight California drivers claims a disability." Gatto has introduced two bills: one to address disabled parking, the other could promote variable pricing of parking.
How High is Too High for Transportation Sales Taxes?
Sales taxes are regressive, but unlike the gas tax, they bear no relationship to transportation. Should a November transportation ballot measure pass, sales taxes in three cities in the county of Los Angeles would exceed 10 percent.
Canada Is Looking Better and Better
Alan Mallach unpacks a remarkable project currently underway in Toronto, suggesting that sometimes higher, rather than lower, density may be the best way to go.
Effort Underway to Change 36 Racist Place Names in Washington State
It's surprising to see places named with racially offensive words in 2016—no matter what your take on political correctness.
Philadelphia City Planning Commission Wins National Planning Award
The Philadelphia City Planning Commission has been awarded the American Planning Association's 2016 "National Planning Excellence Award for a Planning Agency."
Legislature Raises Questions on Draft 2016 California High-Speed Rail Business Plan
Uncertainty as to whether cap-and-trade funding would continue past 2020 and opposition to the initial operating segment leaving out the city of Merced were two issues that arose during a Assembly Transportation Committee hearing of the plan.
Could Tent Cities Work in California?
Seeking new approaches to a growing homelessness problem, Sacramento officials recently toured the "tent cities" of Seattle.
Benchmarks: Places on the Move Measure Up
All Planetizen readers should read the full 200-page Bicycling and Walking in the United States: 2016 Benchmarking Report. If you haven't taken the time yet, Hazel Borys shares some of the best bits.
Is Face to Face Community Engagement Dying Out?
With disruptions at public meetings on the rise and a growing number of online engagement tools to choose from, is face to face community engagement destined to die out? What's at stake if we let that happen?
A Detroit Design School Seeks a Seat at the Table
Academic institutions can play a major role in enriching the communities they operate in. Amy Deines, interim dean of the College of Architecture and Design at Lawrence Technological University in Detroit, discusses the city and school's trajectory.
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.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
