Government / Politics
Cautious Optimism in the Wake of COP21
With the historic climate agreement reached in Paris at COP21, what implications will it have on the architecture, engineering and design industries? Doggerel spoke to U.S. Green Building Council Chair-elect Fiona Cousins for her perspective.
More Colorado Cities Banning Public Smoking
Something is missing from a lot of the walkable downtown business zones in cities around Colorado: tobacco smoke.
NYC's SoHo Gets a 'Noxious' Use
SoHo, a Manhattan neighborhood full of luxury apartments and a median income of $111,000/year, must accept a new facility that includes a garage for sanitation trucks. Why, and how will it test the city's commitment to infrastructure design?
Michigan Governor Finds Himself at Center of Flint Water Crisis
A case is made that Gov. Rick Snyder's handling of the lead-tainted water in Flint, Michigan is analogous to former President George W. Bush's bungling of the crisis resulting after Hurricane Katrina touched-down on the Gulf coast in August 2005.
Wisconsin Considering Local 'Pothole Tax'
Though the governor's office remains staunchly opposed to new taxes, the Wisconsin State Legislature is searching for politically viable ways to fund transportation infrastructure improvements at the local level.
Wise Use Movement Galvanizes Oregon Wildlife Refuge Occupation
In an news analysis for The New York Times Sunday Review, Alan Feuer sees the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon as another struggle between the Wise Use movement, which began is the 1980s, and the mainstream.
Guess What 'Empire Station' Replaces
An earlier post on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's big capital project proposal this week gave barely a mention of his new plans for the renovation, or rebirth, of Penn Station, America's busiest rail station.
Gentrification and 'The Slums of Beverly Hills'
There is hidden economic diversity even in one of the most famous (and toniest) of zip codes.
Gov. Cuomo's 'Robert Moses Wish List' Continues to Grow—But Where's the Payment Plan?
The New York governor continues his tour of New York, promoting his big ticket capital agenda, yet not suggesting any means to pay for them. Worse yet, he restricts new funding options, like increased tolls, adding costs to the transportation budget.
Congress Increases Allotment for the Land and Water Conservation Fund
The funding allotment for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) included in the Omnibus spending bill marked a substantial increase over previous years.
Checking In on the Buffalo Green Code
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown provides insight into one of the nation's most significant planning efforts.
Lacking a Budget—Illinois to Borrow $480 Million for Road and Transit Projects
Citing the critical economic need for road construction and transit improvements, Gov. Bruce Rauner will conduct a general obligation bond sale later this month.
Walkable Winter Cities: Feasibility While Freezing
"It's too cold to walk here" is often the response to the subject of livability in northern climes. Hazel Borys hails from the third coldest city of its size on earth and talks walkable winter cities.
State Gas Tax Changes, Up and Down, Took Effect January 1
In case you were wondering if any state gas taxes, other than Utah as previously posted, changed on New Years Day—eight others did, but only slightly, due to required, automatic adjustments. Most telling was that more went down than up.
Change of Leadership for Los Angeles' Planning Department
Mayor Eric Garcetti has nominated Vince Bertoni to lead the Los Angeles Department of City Planning. Bertoni is currently the planning director of the city of Pasadena.
Study: Local land Use Regulations Segregate Metropolitan Areas
A new study reveals new understanding about how restrictive land use regulations in urban areas affect economic segregation across metropolitan areas.
The Ideological War Against Urban Planning
The anti-planning debate may have quieted down, but it hasn't disappeared. Anti-Agenda 21 activists have merely spread out, into the politics of cities and counties planning for the future.
New Year's Gift for Washington and New York City Commuters
Commuters working in New York City and Washington, D.C. will now enjoy transit tickets and passes purchased using pre-tax income.
Will 2016 Be the Year California Finally Raises its 22-Year-Old Gas Tax?
Despite several attempts by Sen. Jim Beall (D-S.J.) and Gov. Jerry Brown, the Republicans have shown no willingness to lend their support to increasing the state gas tax, last raised in 1994, to repair roads and bridges.
'Bridge-Gate' Attorneys Make Their Case: You Can't Sue Over Traffic
Attorneys representing the state of New Jersey responded to the allegations of a class action lawsuit rising from the "bridge-gate" scandal.
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
