Government / Politics

Shaped by two World's Fairs, the long-neglected, but intensely used, park is targeted for redevelopment. City officials plan for a new mall, a soccer stadium, and more parking, upsetting some in the local community.

October 4, 2012 - The New York Times

Determined not to let 'congressional gridlock slow economic growth', Pres. Obama added two major transit projects to his 'We Can't Wait" initiative: the proposed Southwest Light Rail Line and Cleveland's University Circle – Little Italy Rapid Station

October 4, 2012 - Progressive Railroading

Jeremy Rosenberg continues his fascinating series on the laws that shaped Los Angeles with a look at the local, and national, impact of the 1934 National Housing Act on residential development patterns.

October 4, 2012 - KCET Departures

Conflicting opinions have arisen over the use of red-light cameras. But, new evidence may finally put an end to arguments over whether they actually improve safety, or are only effective in increasing revenues.

October 4, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Conservative news outlets are recirculating a controversial speech made by President Obama in 2007, highlighting his remark that "We don’t need to build more highways out in the suburbs." Brad Plumer looks at the policy implications of his statement.

October 4, 2012 - The Washington Post

The high-profile case of Raquel Nelson, who was arrested when her four-year-old son was killed as she attempted to cross the street with him, and another recent episode demonstrate the Atlanta region's abysmal attitude toward pedestrians.

October 3, 2012 - Streetsblog D.C.

Alex Steffen, a "leading voice in planetary futurism," muses on what he believes could be a way to move beyond NIMBYism and incremental urban planning, to provide an antidote to fundamentally broken city governance.

October 2, 2012 - Planetary Thinking

Zoning reform is a political campaign. Coder Susan Henderson talks about audience dynamics, with a special focus on how to communicate with property owners and the developer community.

October 2, 2012 - PlaceShakers

Smoking is physically harmful to smokers and non-smokers alike, but what about its impact on public space? Nate Berg reports on a new paper in Urban Studies based on interviews in Singapore -- where smoking has been regulated since 1970.

October 2, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

An experimental plan to build a new charter city for 10 million people in Honduras has lost a key element, its expected chairman and chief founder, Paul Romer.

October 2, 2012 - The New York Times

Some cities are fighting back against the mortgage crisis, using eminent domain to seize and write down troubled mortgages, keeping homeowners in their homes and keeping local economies afloat, writes Peter S. Goodman.

October 2, 2012 - Huffington Post

Despite heated political rhetoric on the national stage, the Toledo mayor courts Chinese investors.

October 2, 2012 - The Financial Times

Although the state's legislators were ready to move on from the closure of CA's redevelopment agencies by approving several bills designed to replace aspects of redevelopment or otherwise help cities, Governor Brown vetoed each one over the weekend.

October 1, 2012 - California Planning & Development Report

According to Kate Dries, it's not the design that sets apart the plans for Bloomingdale Trail, Chicago's elevated railway to park conversion. The way the project has evolved sets it apart from its east coast cousin and prior efforts.

October 1, 2012 - WBEZ

With the second highest share of transit usage in the U.S., a new study three years in the making assesses the development opportunities around the New Jersey's 243 transit stations.

October 1, 2012 - The Star-Ledger

For the second year in a row, Washington D.C. is ending its fiscal year in the black, raising hopes that prior cuts to city services can be reversed. So why are city leaders planning to bulk up the city's savings instead?

October 1, 2012 - The Washington Post

Elisabeth Rosenthal reflects on the deterrent to cycling, and the use of bike-sharing systems, posed by mandatory bike helmet laws. Does the rare serious injury prevented by a helmet outweigh discouraging cycling's wider health benefits?

October 1, 2012 - The New York Times

With 700 urban farms and gardens in New York City, a new report calls for a comprehensive approach to managing the city's urban agriculture, and offers recommendations for maximizing coordination between city agencies and urban farmers.

September 30, 2012 - Grist

As the state modernizes its infrastructure, concerns of continued coastal erosion and future sea-level rise raise questions of where to place key infrastructure.

September 29, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

The rise of mobile food trucks has been heralded in many cities. Now as retail stores take to the streets, they're encountering obstacles with zoning and permitting that have befuddled their culinary brethren.

September 29, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities