Government / Politics
Should the World Follow America's Lead and Raise Property Taxes?
Unlike the United Sates, Canada, and Great Britain, few countries raise substantial revenues from property taxes. The Economist argues that property taxes are among the most efficient, stable, and progressive forms of taxation and should be embraced.
Rural Transit: A Matter of Life or Death, and in Danger
Public transit that serves rural communities is no less essential to the everyday needs of their users as those systems that serve cities. So, why do some states seem so eager to cut subsidies to rural transit providers?
More Than a Toll Increase Needed to Fund Ohio's Transportation Projects
A 2.7% increase on Ohio Turnpike Tolls and the new bonds that revenue will generate will not be enough to repair Ohio's aging road and bridge network, so a task force will recommend strategies - one of which must be elimination of the gas excise tax.
#TeslaCrash: Three reasons for Tesla (and all of us) to be concerned
Tesla has just disclosed the first fatal crash of a driver using its "Autopilot" system. Tesla should be concerned about the question of who's liable, and we should all be concerned about the wider consequences of this tragic event.
Paris Is What People Want; How Can We Make More of It?
Hazel Borys concludes her whirlwind European travelog. This week: a look at the DNA of Paris, and how to replicate it elsewhere.
What Grade Would You Give Obama's Climate Action Plan?
Two very different grades are assigned, one from David Hawkins, Director of Climate Programs at NRDC; the other from a college senior working on a fossil fuel divestment campaign. Michael Brune of the Sierra Club differs with Hawkins on natural gas.
MTA Commuter Tax Pits New York City Against Suburbs
The 12-county downstate commuter tax is vilified by many living outside New York City - forced to pay a payroll tax to support transit that they may not use. They sued the MTA and won last August, but MTA had the ruling reversed on appeal on June 26.
Koontz Decision: No Big Deal or Blow to Sustainable Development?
In a forceful op-ed, professor John D. Echeverria argues the Supreme Court's recent "blockbuster" land use decision will "result in long-lasting harm to America’s communities." Not so fast, says Rick Hills, the decision offers an "exit strategy".
South Carolina's $1 Billion Transportation Bill Signed By Gov. Nikki Haley
Over the next decade, $1 billion will be spent to repair the state's deteriorating roads. Like many states unwilling to raise gas taxes, most will come from transfers from the general fund, though $41.4 million per year will be from car sales taxes.
Urban Design in the New Soft City
Carl Skelton argues that the public needs new tools of citizenship to participate fully in the digital cities of the near future.
Former APA President Allegedly Assaulted at Zoning Hearing
Don't let anyone tell you that planning isn't dangerous. Past APA President and current Raleigh Planning Director Mitchell Silver was allegedly punched by a resident opposed to rezoning that would allow the construction of a gas station.
Beyond Zoning: Obstacles to Walkable Neighborhood Development
If the market demand is there, why isn't more mixed-use housing getting built? Follow the money.
Why We'll Likely See a Lot More Urban-Oriented Protests in the Future
If there's one common thread uniting the recent protests in Brazil and Turkey, it's the growing inequality evident in cities, and the inability (or disinterest) of the public sector in bridging that gap through public services.
Civic Groups Win Decisive Battle in Effort to Rebuild NYC's Penn Station
With two City Council committee votes this week, civic groups and New York's most prominent architecture critic appear to have won their very public battle to ultimately boot Madison Square Garden from atop Penn Station, reports Matt Chaban.
Report Questions Value of Energy Benchmarking
The premise behind the energy benchmarking laws found in many cities is that they will induce owners to increase the efficiency of their buildings. But a new report questions whether the investment in data collection leads to changes in energy use.
Can Small Steps Prevent Massive Change? Obama Unveils Long-Awaited Climate Plan
It doesn't involve cap-and-trade or a major international protocol, but the sweeping climate plan unveiled by President Obama today is 'the most far-reaching effort by an American president' to address climate change. Best of all, it skirts Congress.
What Makes Berlin’s Cultural Clusters Sing?
Last week, PlaceMaker Hazel Borys explored the comfortable charms of London. This week her whirlwind travelog continue with this study of Berlin's cultural clusters. Get your public space on!
The 8 Most Promising Ideas in Open Gov
This week, the Knight Foundation announced the eight recipients (out of 886 applicants) to share in $3.2 million in grant funds intended to promote the use of public data "to improve the way people and governments interact."
Divergent Views on the State of America's Cities; Can They Both Be Right?
Kaid Benfield discusses two influential new publications that posit very different takes on the state of America's cities. While he finds elements to agree with in both, Benfield ultimately finds himself an optimist when it comes to our urban future.
By Urging Action on Climate Change, Kerry Ruffles Feathers in India
At the beginning of a two-day trip to India, the world's third largest emitter of carbon dioxide, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry made solving climate change a focus of his public remarks. The U.S.'s own failures elicited skepticism from locals.
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 Moorpark
City of Tustin
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
