Government / Politics
States Address Impending Cut-off of Federal Transportation Funds
With federal highway funds likely to be cut off in August unless Congress can reach an agreement on a stopgap solution, some states, e.g., MO, VT, GA, AR have taken matters into their own hands to ensure that vital construction projects continue.
Labor Unrest Surrounds Transit Systems in Brazil on the World Cup's Opening Day
Questions about workers' strikes in two transportation systems persisted right up until the launch of the World Cup, the world's most watched sporting event, today in Brazil.
How Corruption Determines Budgets
Liz Farmer and Kevin Tidmarsh share news of a study in the Public Administration Review finding that higher instances of corruption correlate with more spending in the policy areas more likely to line the pockets of corrupt officials.
Conservatives Push Back on 'Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing' Policy
Stanley Kurtz reports that Congressman Paul Gosar (R-Arizona) "is planning to offer" an amendment to the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill that would declaw the Obama Administration's proposed "AFFH" rule.
Tolls vs. Taxes: Wisconsinites Choose Their Preference
All taxes are not equally disliked—some are more tolerated than others. Jack Craver of The Cap Times examines an academic poll and speaks with policy makers and one advocate about the least objectionable options to pay for roads in Wisconsin.
Rhode Island's 'Blue State' Policies Criticized
Aaron M. Renn has written a scathing review of the state of affairs in Rhode Island, which he describes as a result of decades of unfettered "blue state" policies.
California Takes Legislative Steps to Address Growing Crude-by-Rail Shipments
While regulated on the federal level, there is still much that can be done on a state level, including adding per-barrel fees to pay for cleanup plans. Plus, a new regulation took effect requiring railroads to notify states about Bakken crude trains.
The Fall of Planning Expertise
With increasing skepticism and conflict towards planners and planning projects, we must ask ourselves: Is the power and politics now vested in "community participation" undermining the planning profession?
Urbanists Soak Up Buffalo: PlaceMakers Empty Their Notebooks
Many of you attended CNU in Buffalo last week, but for those of you who couldn't make it, here's a quick collection of a few of the ideas shared.
The Lingering Consequences of Chicago's Parking Meter Privatization
An article examines "Exhibit A for bad public contracting"—a 75-year lease between Chicago a Morgan Stanley-led private consortium for 36,000 parking meters—as a cautionary tale about the lingering impacts of bad deals.
Can an Algorithm Cure Gerrymandering?
Mapping congressional districts functions at a dynamic intersection of geography, politics, and community. Can technology, as with so many other issues at this intersection, improve the current system?
Green Light for Red Light Cameras in California
A decisive California Supreme Court ruling on June 5 made life easier for jurisdictions to enforce red-light laws using traffic camera technology by stating that the photos have the "same presumption of validity as other types of photos and videos."
Will Obama's Climate Initiative Become the Obamacare of Regulations?
EPA's new Clean Power Plan Rule has taken on a political life of its own, with coal states adamantly opposed, helping those who allege that the administration is waging a "war on coal." We also look at the basis of the rule in the 1970 Clean Air Act.
Op-Ed: User Fees, Not General Funds, Should Fund Transportation
The Washington Post editorializes against the use of general funds to fill the Highway Trust Fund shortfall ($18 billion annually), whether they be dedicated funds or offsets, and evaluates proposals from President Barack Obama and House Republicans.
What Urban Planners Fail to Grasp in Climate Action Plans
Climate mitigation and adaptation have become de rigeur aspects of urban planning for most cities, according to results from MIT's international Urban Climate Change Governance Survey. What's missing in most plans is the link to economic development.
'Seattle's Greatest Social and Economic Experiment Is about to Begin'
That's how USA Today reporter John Bacon concluded his video on the Seattle City Council's historic vote to increase the city minimum wage to $15/hour in 3-7 years depending on the business. The outcome was never in doubt due to prior deliberations.
Pending Massachusetts Zoning Code Bill Would 'Promote Sustainable Communities'
A Boston Globe editorial calls for the Massachusetts State Legislature to approve Bill H.4065 (An Act promoting the planning and development of sustainable communities).
Op-Ed: Time to End Reliance on Highway User Fees
It's time to fund federal transportation like most other nations do—rely less on highway user fees that dedicate funds to highways and transition to funding roads from the general fund, perhaps in the same amount that they contribute to GDP.
EPA Releases Carbon-Cutting Rule for Existing Power Plants
EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy announced on Monday the long-awaited proposed rule to reduce the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions. It calls for cuts of 30 percent by 2030, with the baseline year of 2005, to be finalized next year.
California Fracking Moratorium Bill Dies; Proponents Vow to Press On
A high profile bill championed by California's environmental community that would have placed a moratorium on fracking and other well stimulation treatment and would have allowed more local control failed to get off the Senate floor on May 29 and 30.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
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
