Government / Politics

Want to know how many people drive in your city? The answers are easy to find. But for anyone trying to find out how many people bike and walk, it's not so easy. The result is problematic for safety and spending advocates alike. This may soon change.

December 14, 2012 - DC.Streetsblog

Based on five criteria, the Sierra Club has evaluated “the 50 best and worst transportation projects” in the nation, shining light on apparent fiascoes in the making, as well as progressive achievements.

December 14, 2012 - D.C. Streesblog

Ohio has been one of the hardest hit states by the recent wave of foreclosures, with filings continuing to rise. Susie Cagle looks at the variety of state and local policies and programs arming communities with new tools to fight blight.

December 14, 2012 - Grist

Following Boston's visionary lead, this week Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter formally created the city's Office of New Urban Mechanics, "a civic innovation tool for urban transformation.”

December 13, 2012 - Government Technology

Two southern CA toll roads are so severely underperforming that the state treasurer is investigating whether the bondholders can be paid their interest. The San Joaquin Hills toll road's bonds are rated at junk status. Widening I-5 & 405 didn't help.

December 13, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

With two major transit lines in the pipeline, and several billion dollars of road, bridge, and transit repair and replacement projects planned for the future, Connecticut officials are counting on transit-oriented development to help raise revenue.

December 12, 2012 - The Hartford Courant

The Colorado River is struggling to provide enough water for 25 million people, which could lead to water shortages and water wars in the areas that rely on its bounty. Officials are looking to find a long-term solution, reports Felicity Barringer.

December 12, 2012 - The New York Times

A new report issued by the Australian Government analyzes the changing demographics of the country's largest cities, home to 77 percent of its population, and looks at their progress in increasing productivity, sustainability and liveability.

December 11, 2012 - Architecture & Design

America is becoming less white and more diverse - but that diversity has not been reflected in the ballot place, until now - at least in California. Historically, voters were whiter and older than the actual population.

December 11, 2012 - California Health Report

A report released today shows that the federal government has been effective in reducing homelessness over the last several years, but will fall short of goals for eradicating homelessness among the most vulnerable populations.

December 10, 2012 - The New York Times

In an expose that many have been clamoring for since the days immediately following Sandy when stories of people stranded in NYC's public housing came to light, the Times explores how NYCHA and the city were unprepared for the storm's aftermath.

December 10, 2012 - The New York Times

In Minneapolis, and cities across the country, surface parking lots are an enduring blight on urban landscapes; their presence often incentivized by existing tax structures. Could a new approach to property taxation maximize the productivity of land?

December 10, 2012 - Streets MN

Planetizen is pleased to release its eleventh annual list of the ten best books in urban planning, design and development published in 2012.

December 10, 2012 - Abhijeet Chavan

In a globalized world, China's economic, environmental and urban development has implications for us all, posits Henry M. Paulson Jr. The problems the country faces, and any potential solutions, revolve around its approach to urbanization.

December 9, 2012 - The New York Times

Dr. James Hansen was awarded the prestigious Stephen H. Schneider climate award at the Commonwealth Club in S.F. on Dec. 4 and chose to trash CA's landmark cap-and-trade program, preferring a 'simple, clean carbon tax'. Gov. Brown was attending.

December 8, 2012 - San Francisco Chronicle

On Places, Andrew Herscher of the University of Michigan challenges the usual view of Detroit's decline.

December 8, 2012 - Places Journal

Although the landmark but now controversial environmental law, the CA Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is state law, it is implemented by the 'lead agency' of a project which can be a city. S.F. Supervisor Scott Wiener hopes to reform that process.

December 8, 2012 - San Francisco Chronicle

Undaunted by Republican opposition, public setbacks, and budgetary constraints, President Obama plans to forge ahead with his ambitious plan to develop high-speed rail systems across the U.S.

December 7, 2012 - The Washington Post

California has set a deadline of 2020 to rely less on fossil fuels and more on alternative energy, but a report finds this strategy could end up emptying ratepayers' pockets and damaging the state's environmental resources, reports Julie Cart.

December 7, 2012 - The Los Angeles Times

In a speech Thursday, Mayor Bloomberg laid out his strategy for rebuilding a stronger, smarter New York in anticipation of future natural disasters.

December 7, 2012 - The New York Times