Government / Politics

Joe Louis Memorial

Inside the Detroit Bankruptcy

On bookshelves today, Detroit Resurrected: To Bankruptcy and Back provides inside baseball details of how the city of Detroit managed to recover from the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.

April 25, 2016 - Next City

Expected Budget Cuts Hurt Port Modernization Prospects in Anchorage

The Alaska Legislature snubbed the Port of Anchorage due to a huge state budget shortfall. The port handles 90 percent of the state's freight and is a vital national security facility.

April 23, 2016 - Alaska Public Media

Paris Climate Agreement Signed, but Troubles Loom in the U.S.

On Earth Day, NPR looked at the intersection of the Paris Climate Agreement, which Secretary of State John Kerry signed at the U.N. on Friday, and President Obama's Clean Power Plan which has been given a pause by the Supreme Court.

April 23, 2016 - NPR

Gas Pump

New Jersey Democrats Propose Hiking Gas Tax in Tradeoff for Estate Tax Reduction

The estate tax reduction, plus increasing the retirement income tax exemption, would be traded for an unspecified hike in the gas tax to keep the Transportation Trust Fund solvent. But the $400 million in tax cuts won't satisfy Gov. Chris Christie.

April 22, 2016 - NJ.com

Kansas Highway

Latest Budget Shortfall Hits Highway Projects in Kansas

In an effort to curb spending by $300 million in the next 15 months, the state of Kansas is considering spending cuts that could hit highway projects and universities. This is the fourth time in two years the state's revenues have fallen short of pro

April 22, 2016 - The Wichita Eagle

Governor Pete Ricketts

Governor Who Vetoed Gas Tax Increase Happy to Use New Revenue for Road Construction

Among the ten state legislatures, mostly Republican controlled, which passed gas tax increases last year, the one that stood out the most was Nebraska's because it had to override Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) veto of the six-cent gas tax hike bill.

April 21, 2016 - The Omaha World-Herald

Polling Place

Primaries vs. Caucuses from a Planner's Perspective

In the middle of presidential primary season, the debate about the caucus vs. primary processes is hot with criticisms being leveled on both sides. What can planners learn about this debate to help improve community engagement for planning?

April 20, 2016 - Dave Biggs

NYC Subway Construction

New York MTA Departs the American Public Transportation Association

Could the cancellation the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority's membership in the American Public Transportation Association be the wakeup call the transit industry needs?

April 20, 2016 - TransitCenter

From Ideas to Action: Cheaply, Quickly, Fairly

Applying ideas of Lean Urbanism to the charrette process can establish an agreement about values and rules for planning in ways that make it renewable.

April 20, 2016 - PlaceShakers

New York Subway

New York Subway Stumps Both New York Democratic Candidates

Bernie Sanders may have retained his Brooklyn accent, but his knowledge of the subway seems to have stopped 13 years ago. And Chappaqua resident Hillary Clinton obviously hasn't ridden the subway in ages (if at all) based on her 'swiping' technique.

April 20, 2016 - New York Daily News

Many Benefits Expected for Changes to Rockaway Community

Officials see chance to move residents out of flood zone, improving access to beach, and deliver affordable housing and infrastructure.

April 20, 2016 - The Wall Street Journal

HUD's Resilience Revolution

The United States Housing and Urban Development agency is utilizing new ways to empower communities to become resilient ones. The agency's National Disaster Resilience Competition is one way they are helping cities around the U.S. achieve just that.

April 19, 2016 - Doggerel

Expo Line LA Skyline

Los Angeles Looking for New Planners, New Community Plans

Mayor Eric Garcetti has announced his commitment to the planning process in Los Angeles by proposing a program that would hire new planners and launch new planning efforts at the community level.

April 18, 2016 - KPCC

Seattle Mulls Selling Surplus Open Space

A 13-acre site considered excess by the city of Seattle could be sold to the highest bidder or become a park

April 18, 2016 - Crosscut

California Environmental Law Continues to Frustrate Bike Planning (for Now)

Help is on the way. The law that requires the governor's planning office to devise an alternative method for measuring vehicle traffic for environmental compliance will also take up where an earlier law that exempted bike lanes from CEQA left off.

April 16, 2016 - Los Angeles Times

Broward County, Florida Advances One-Cent Transportation Sales Tax

A one-cent transportation sales tax took a major step forward to being placed on the Broward County November 2016 ballot with the 7-1 approval of the Broward County Commission. It now goes to the Broward County Metropolitan Planning Organization.

April 15, 2016 - Sun Sentinel

Using Highway Medians for Carbon Sequestration

Americans are thinking about undeveloped land alongside and between roadways as a low cost and widely dispersed strategy for carbon sequestration

April 15, 2016 - EarthTalk

A Critical Take on Public Engagement

Zelda Bronstein makes plenty of points likely to inspire disagreement among planners in this argument calling for a better form of public engagement—one that's substantive and integral, not an afterthought.

April 14, 2016 - 48 hills

Kentucky Governor Signs No-Toll Bill, Likely Sets Back Ohio River Bridge 10 Years

As promised, Gov. Matt Bevin signed the P3 bill that allows private funding, but bans tolls, to pay for the $2.6 billion Brent Spence Bridge project over the Ohio River that connects Covington, Ky. to Cincinnati. Now he needs to find the funding.

April 14, 2016 - Cincinnati Enquirer

The Transportation Policy of Four Presidential Candidates

An article for Next City reveals the transportation policy platforms of Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders, asking the question of whether any of them will shift new support to public transit.

April 14, 2016 - Next City

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.