Government / Politics
Falling Crop Prices Bring Boom Times for Subsidized 'Farmers'
2014 federal legislation reformed the system by which farm subsidies are allotted, designed to save taxpayers $23 billion over a decade. However, falling crop prices mean the system could end up costing even more.
Changing the 'How' and the 'What' in Infrastructure Spending
When it comes to infrastructure, we are frequently reminded of the consequences of not repairing roads and bridges. Two prolific transportation writers recently changed the focus to where the money is spent.
Affordable Housing: the Hype and the Hope
Sam Hall Kaplan elucidates the inadequacies of affordable housing policy before introducing a new perspective to the conversation—a new book by Roger Katan with Ronald Shiffman called "Building Together."
Part Two: Should MoMA Tout Tactical Urbanism(s) as a Solution to Uneven Growth?
The second and final post about MoMa's exhibit, "Uneven Growth: Tactical Urbanisms for Expanding Megacities."
Making Public Spaces Actually Public
Developers get a lot of milage from building privately owned public spaces—but the public often doesn't. Planners in San Francisco are now requiring buildings to make hidden POPS known, so that the public can actually use them.
New Jersey's Transportation Legacy: Cheap Gas, Bad Roads and Bridges
NPR reports on the incipient movement among a dozen states considering raising gas taxes. It centers on New Jersey which arguably illustrates best the need to raise gas taxes to maintain roads and bridges, but it won't be easy, as the interviews show
Legislation would Require Bike Helmets, Reflective Clothing for Bike Riders
A newly proposed bill in California comes down hard on one side of a hotly contested issue regarding the necessity of helmets in ensuring the safety of bikers.
Where Have All the Anti-Tech Protestors Gone?
In San Francisco at this time last year, Google bus protestors and Ellis Act rage were making the news everyday. The City seems a little more...adjusted these days.
Trains Are Always Better than Buses, Right?
Josh Barro provide examples galore of why the answer to that question isn't always yes—where costly rail investment has been to the detriment of existing transit. His column targets proposed projects, such as New York's LaGuardia Airport AirTrain.
Needed: A Fresh Approach to Funding U.S. Infrastructure
Kenneth Orski, editor and publisher of Innovation NewsBriefs, examines how state governments are beginning to accept more responsibility for transportation funding.
Is California's High Speed Rail the Transcontinental Railroad of its Time?
Journalist Kathleen Sharp, whose great-grandfather worked on the transcontinental railroad, draws comparisons between that epic achievement and the construction of California's high speed rail in this New York Times op-ed.
How 'Awful Transit Policy' Led a Man to Commute 21 Miles by Foot
Stephen Henderson pens a strongly worded response to the story of James Robertson, who commutes by foot up to 21 miles a day between Detroit and Rochester Hills. Robertson is a source of pride—the transit system that neglects the region, a disgrace.
Proposal would Lower New York's Gas Prices by Cutting the Gas Tax
Call it $2 gas price envy. Though New York gas prices have dropped $1.20 from a year ago, they are also 25-cents above the national average. State Sen. Jim Seward hopes to spark a statewide movement to reduce prices by reducing state gas taxes.
City Leaders Flex Muscle in Ottawa
Canadian cities are no strangers to rankings of the world's most functional, attractive cities. Even so, the mayors of Canada's 22 largest cities want national leaders in Ottawa to adopt an even more explicitly pro-urban national agenda.
Delaware Gas Tax Funds Subsidize General Fund
While Congress has subsidized the Highway Trust Fund with over $60 billion since 2008, some states may do the opposite, i.e., transfer funds from their gas tax-filled transportation trust funds to the state's general fund to cover operating expenses.
Washington, D.C.: A City Held Hostage
A neutral capital "district" may have sounded like a fine idea in the early 1800s. Today, Washington, D.C.—the burgeoning city, not the political fabrication—is crippled by the whims of Congress and a host of anti-urban policies.
The Return of the Ferry to the Big Apple—to All Five Boroughs
Ferries, New York City's first commuter mode, will return big-time if Mayor Bill de Blasio gets his way. Judging by how well the proposal in his February 3 State of the City address was received, he will.
Seizing the Moment: Nations Slash Energy Subsidies as Oil Prices Fall
Just as plummeting oil prices have caused state and federal political leaders to consider raising gas taxes, leaders in developing nations, both oil producers and consumers, are considering reductions in national energy subsidies.
Residents Sue Over the 'Lawless Skid Row' of Venice Beach
Venice Beach, one of the most popular tourist destinations and recognizable public spaces in Los Angeles, has long been the site of regulation battles. Now a neighborhood group is suing the city over what it perceives as rampant lawlessness.
Gas Tax vs. Carbon Charge Debate Looms in Washington State
The Republican chair of the Senate Transportation Committee is considering an 11.5-cent gas tax increase, setting up a potential conflict with Gov. Jay Inslee's preference to apply a carbon charge to industrial emissions to fund transportation.
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.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
