Government / Politics
How the Census Will Improve Race and Ethnicity Data for 2020
At the halfway point in the ten-year Census window, the Census Bureau undertakes research into how to improve its data collection for questions of race and ethnicity.
Conservatives Have a Bad Feeling About Smart Growth
Bloggers, pundits, authors, and researchers, have made the case for conservatives to embrace the effects of smart growth. Yet still, a distinctly partisan divide flavors the debate about how to make room for a growing number of Americans.
When Can Economic Advocacy Succeed in City Hall?
Marc Doussard of University of Illinois guest blogs on his new work in the Journal of Planning Education and Research, available with open access through Dec. 15, 2015.
Melting Pots and Shrinking Islands
Brooklyn-based artist Ekene Ijeoma newest piece shows what parts of New York City are affordable to different people across the spectrum of salaries in the form of crystalline islands called "wage islands."
Anaheim, Home to Disneyland, Proving Popular for Short-Term Rentals
Anaheim is struggling to keep up with a glut of houses in residential neighborhoods being used as short-term rentals catering to Disneyland's crowds. The city is profiting, but neighborhoods, perhaps, are not.
Google Bus Opponents Argue Need for CEQA Study in San Francisco Superior Court
On Friday, tech bus opponents took their case to court, arguing that the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency must comply with the California Environmental Quality Act due to impacts including air quality and community displacement.
Berlin Moves To Protect, Expand Affordable Housing
Berlin's Senate has approved a sweeping reform of the city's housing policy, limiting rents on close to 400,000 public housing units to no more than 30 percent of a household income.
Wisconsin Goes Deeper in the Fiscal Hole to Fix Aging Roads
Wisconsin legislators have voted to continue steep borrowing to pay for needed road repairs, while calls to increase the state’s gas tax grow louder.
New Corporation Formed to Replace Amtrak's Hudson River Rail Tunnels
The Gateway Development Corporation will be formed by Amtrak, the U.S. Department of Transportation, New York, and New Jersey to replace the deteriorating 105-year-old Hudson River rail tunnels, a vital project that could cost $20 billion.
Palo Alto to Protect Single-Story, Eichler-Tract Neighborhood
The Palo Alto city council has approved one neighborhood's request to prevent the construction of two-story homes.
How the Pope's Visit Reduced Traffic in Washington, D.C.
Pope Francis' much-publicized visit to the capital in late September saw reductions in congestion and better travel times. Event-specific telecommuting policies and transit route changes appear responsible for the minor miracle.
The Deadly Costs of Failing Infrastructure
Failing infrastructure is a life and death matter. Decaying roads, bridges, dam, pipelines, water delivery, and railroads lacking safety controls are responsible for the loss of thousands of lives annually, on top of illnesses and injuries.
Battling the Ugly: Denver Contemplates an Effective Design Review Process
As Denver booms, planners and architects discuss the good and the bad of imposing design guidelines on new construction.
Are Land Use Policies Mostly Hurting the Poor?
In a new paper, researchers find that land use regulations in cities have effectively created a "zoning tax," which primarily impacts the poor and renting class.
Report: Detroit's Property Tax System in Need of Major Overhaul
Detroit's comeback has been well documented, as has its efforts to remove blight and demolish vacant properties. A new report sheds light on another of the city's deepest challenges: how to reform property taxes to achieve fiscal certainty.
Can Climate Change be Addressed by Halting Drilling on Federal Lands?
A production-side approach to tackling climate change is the basis of new legislation by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). The "Keep it in the Ground Act" would prevent new drilling for any fossil fuel on federal lands or renewal of nonproductive leases.
New Report Recommends Tough Medicine to Fix Bay Area's Housing Ailments
A new report by the Bay Area Council argues that the regionwide housing crisis demands a regionwide response, i.e., all nine counties and 101 cities need to build more housing, and if they don't, there needs to be consequences.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder to Sign 7.3-cent Gas Tax Hike Today
After years of debate, Republicans from both chambers agreed to a transportation plan raising the gas tax 7.3-cents and registration fees by 20 percent, effective 2017. Democrats objected to the amount of general funds that will be directed to roads.
Eminent Domain in 2015
The dust is still settling from Kelo v. New London, a 2005 Supreme Court Case allowing for expansive powers of eminent domain. A book released this year chronicles the effects of the landmark court case.
Los Angeles City Council Wants a 'Do-Over' on Mobility Plan 2035
Years of planning and strong political support aren't enough when the city council doesn't follow the letter of the law. Now opponents of L.A.'s Mobility Plan 2035 smell blood in the water.
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
