Government / Politics
Feds Award Nearly $1 Billion to SF's Embattled Central Subway Project
The SF Municipal Transportation Agency's Central Subway project, opposed by transit advocacy group SaveMuni, received a Full Funding Grant Agreement from FTA that dedicates $942.2 million to the Caltrain to Chinatown extension of the 'T' LRT line.
Dynamic Pricing: A More Efficient Way to Allocate Public Goods
SPUR, the San Francisco-based planing think tank, looks at the potential benefits to the public sector of using dynamic, demand-based pricing to manage limited public resources - from parking to electricity.
How Voters in Ohio Could Determine the Future of California's Energy Industry
California has relied more on federal subsidies to develop its growing alternative energy industry than any other state in the country. With Mitt Romney seeking to trim such aid, the upcoming election will determine the fate of state energy policy.
Is Public Land the Key to Solving D.C.'s Affordability Crisis?
A new report argues that city-owned lands must be leveraged to increase D.C.'s stock of affordable housing, and indicts Mayor Gray's administration for not doing enough to keep up with increasing demand.
Fiscal Cliff Imperils Design and Construction Industry
An American Institute of Architects (AIA) report released this week estimates that the mandatory federal spending cuts looming at the start of next year could cost the design and construction industry 66,500 full-time positions.
Using an App to Shame Property Violators Into Repenting
In Philadelphia, resourceful City Councilman Bobby Henon has introduced a free app named CityHall, which has quickly become a weapon of choice for getting landlords and tenants who blight their blocks to clean up their acts, reports Dan Geringer.
The American City Makes a Comeback
Architectural Record explores the rebirth of the American city through the lens of three cities reinventing themselves through public initiatives, architecture, and urban design: Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Oklahoma City.
Thirty California Cities Face Credit Downgrades; More Bankruptcies Expected
In the wake of three municipal bankruptcies in California this year, Moody's Investor Services is placing thirty cities on credit review. These are not poor ones either, but in the heart of Silicon Valley and other wealthy Bay Area cities.
Never Again Will Mass. Build Superhighways Says DOT Head
At a news conference this week announcing their ambitious "mode shift" campaign, Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation Richard Davey boldly announced that the state will "build no more superhighways," and work to get people out of their cars.
What Led L.A. to its Freeway-Building Frenzy?
Jeremy Rosenberg's latest entry in his "Laws That Shaped LA" column looks at the impact of the Collier-Burns Act, a state law passed in 1947 that allowed the city to become "smothered with concrete and asphalt goliaths."
Ideas Floated to Meet Texas's Road Funding Shortfall
Texas State Rep. Joe Pickett faults a recent TRIP report for not recommending a funding strategy to address the state's revenue shortfall for transportation needs. Two groups view vehicle registration fees as a funding option.
Is Your City Suffering From Gentrificationphobia?
Matthew Yglesias diagnoses a common predicament facing many urban communities: the fear that improving living conditions is a bad thing.
Should Wind and Solar Stand on Their Own?
The Wall Street Journal invites Mark Muro, with the Brookings Institution, and David Kreutzer, with the Heritage Foundation, to debate the merits of government subsidies for the development of wind and solar power in the United States.
Where Should Your Toll Money Go?
Should the tolls you pay to traverse a bridge or highway go directly to the upkeep of that roadway, or should they go to fund transportation projects, such as public transit? Five experts debate this question in the New York Times Opinion Pages.
How Location-Based Data Can Improve Government Services
With three-quarters of smartphone owners accessing real-time location-based information, the biggest names in technology - from Apple to Google - are working to mine the value of location-based data. Can local governments do the same?
CA Gasoline Tradeoff: More Smog For Lower Pump Prices?
The news of the escalating gas prices was ubiquitous - local media news reports led with gas station prices that had risen 20-50 cents overnight, or stations that had closed early for lack of gas. Finally, Gov. Brown acted to alleviate the 'crisis'.
How Swiftly Could Romney Gut Federal Environmental Protections?
John M. Broder looks at the obstacles that stand in the way of Mitt Romney's campaign pledge to “take a weed whacker” to a variety of federal pollution and public health rules.
CA High Speed Rail Opponents Ask For Preliminary Injunction In Central Valley
With federal and state environmental clearance and with funds allocated, the main obstacle to laying track in the Fresno-Merced route is an environmental lawsuit to be be heard April, 2013. Two county farm bureaus ask that work cease until then.
Shoup To APA: Let Planners Lead on Parking Requirements
Donald Shoup explains his disappointment with the American Planning Association's opposition to California legislation (AB 904), that would cap minimum parking requirements.
Do Republicans Hate Cities?
Author Kevin Baker offers a historical perspective of the Republican Party's shift to the "anti-urban party".
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
