Government / Politics

Will Doig believes that the choice of Tampa for the Republican National Convention is no coincidence: sprawling and practically devoid of public spaces or pedestrian facilities, it is a monument to not investing in the future.

August 23, 2012 - Salon

It has long been assumed by politicians, and others, that homeowners are more likely to invest in contributing to the well-being of their neighborhoods than renters. A new report seems to support those assumptions.

August 22, 2012 - Next American City

America's national parks are as popular as ever. But, as the national park system approaches its 100th anniversary in 2016, years of strained budgets and deferred maintenance are conspiring to spoil the celebration.

August 21, 2012 - The Washington Post

President Obama can rightfully claim that many of the initiatives his administration pushed through in his first years in office helped reverse the acute economic slide he inherited. His efforts to cleanup the housing crash were far less successful.

August 21, 2012 - The New York Times

With South Korean officials set to move into their sparkling new "mini capital" next month, Chico Harlan examines plans for the new city that "will either drive growth outside the overpopulated capital or end up as an ill-conceived waste of money."

August 20, 2012 - The Washington Post

"Use it or lose it" is the message being delivered to states by an Obama Administration eager to put people to work improving the nation's transportation infrastructure. $473 million is up for grabs, reports Alex Goldmark.

August 20, 2012 - Transportation Nation

Kevin Meagher argues why the office of Mayor of London, "an astounding success" since its creation just 12 years ago, is bad for the rest of England, and should be abolished.

August 18, 2012 - The Guardian

This week L.A. City Council members voted to approve an ordinance that gives the city more flexibility to lower parking requirements in select areas of the city to encourage adaptive reuse and walkability, report David Zahniser and Kate Linthicum.

August 16, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

As the new federal transportation bill, known as MAP-21, moves to the implementation stage, major finding decisions will ride on the nuances by which the U.S. DOT defines and measures "congestion," "roadway performance," and "cost effectiveness".

August 16, 2012 - Streetsblog Capitol Hill

Next time you suggest your child goes outside to play, you might want to make sure they're not packing chalk. Josh Harkinson looks at the nationwide crackdown on chalk art. It's not just adults being cited.

August 16, 2012 - Mother Jones

Caroline Davies reports on the development of a women-only industrial city in Saudi Arabia, that the government hopes will give women a more prominent role in their country's development while maintaining their second-class status.

August 15, 2012 - The Guardian

Would raising the gas tax to $1 and establishing a 'gasoline price floor' provide market stability for auto dealers? Some dealers, including the nation's largest, say 'yes'. Economists agree. Politically impossible? Read on.

August 15, 2012 - National Journal

Three decades after it was established, the EPA's Superfund program is taking on some of the most complex and costly projects ever attempted. With many focused underwater, some worry the stirring up of polluted sediment will exacerbate the problem.

August 15, 2012 - The New York Times

We get it, China's cities are big and getting bigger. But what's it like to live there? Isaac Stone Fish takes a closer look at the quality of life in Chinese cities, and finds them almost uniformly monolithic and unlivable.

August 15, 2012 - Foreign Policy

Stanley Kurtz traces the mechanisms by which he believes President Obama intends to "abolish" the suburbs in a possible second term, and the roots of his desire, stretching back to his training as a community organizer.

August 14, 2012 - National Review

The board of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, in charge of the region's most expensive transportation project in decades, has come under fire in recent days from federal officials for being dysfunctional, out of control and secretive.

August 14, 2012 - The Washington Post

Ethan Zuckerman pens a thought provoking piece on the potential downsides of crowdfunding public improvement projects. Is there a way to avoid the unequal and government-shrinking effects of funding public projects through private contribution?

August 14, 2012 - my heart's in accra

With Mitt Romney's announcement of Paul Ryan as his running mate, America's Presidential campaign is heating up. With Ryan, and his policies, attached to the ticket, Yonah Freemark looks at the contrast in transportation policy with President Obama.

August 13, 2012 - the transport politic

Milan's six-month-old congestion charge, indirectly authorized by public referendum and by all measures successful in reducing traffic, crashes, and pollution, has been brought to an abrupt end by the successful appeal of a parking garage owner.

August 13, 2012 - The New York Times - Europe

Seeking to rival the Broadway theater district in New York and the West End in London, DreamWorks Animation SKG recently announced plans to develop a $3.1 billion cultural and entertainment district in Shanghai.

August 13, 2012 - The New York Times