Government / Politics

Service will be cut 44%, half the stations to close, elimination of mid-day and weekend service - that is the scenario laid for Caltrain, the West's oldest commuter rail, unless $30 million can be found - unlikely.

February 7, 2011 - San Jose Mercury News

Neither technology nor infrastructure shows any limit for how big or how fast cities can grow and more megacities are on the horizon, according to this piece from Richard Dobbs and Jaana Remes.

February 6, 2011 - What Matters

More than $200 billion worth of projects are either planned or underway in Qatar, and nearly half of them are infrastructure.

February 4, 2011 - Gulf Times

Building megacities needs to be a multidisciplinary effort, according to architect and designer Sean C. S. Chiao.

February 3, 2011 - What Matters

Three years ago, Boulder grabbed international attention when it announced plans to construct a "smart grid" of high tech tools to help cut its electricity consumption. But that project has gone way over budget.

February 3, 2011 - Time

While Brazil sits underwater due to heavy rains, an even greater political problem persists.

February 3, 2011 - The Guardian

The demand for air travel may seem to be on the decline, but it's actually rising -- and playing a major role in determining which places are more economically successful.

February 3, 2011 - The New York Times

While some cities have focused planning efforts on making their public spaces more accessible for the elderly, some argue that the age group they should be focusing on is kids.

February 2, 2011 - Good

Of all the environmental problems facing California, depletion of its groundwater may be the most important according to this piece.

February 2, 2011 - NRDC Switchboard

Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne begins a year-long series reading and reviewing 25 books all about L.A.

February 2, 2011 - Los Angeles Times

This slideshow from The New York Times looks at a variety of examples of large-scale planning efforts that never materialized.

February 2, 2011 - The New York Times

With recent uprisings in Cairo and Tunis, we are reminded that the city has been the center of revolutionary action for hundreds of years, according to this piece from Edward L. Glaeser.

February 2, 2011 - The New York Times

A new proposal in Washington could help fund urban infrastructure by transferring development rights from rural areas to cities.

February 2, 2011 - Crosscut

If a San Mateo County agency has its way, congestion pricing will be applied to two toll bridges to create additional revenue and reduce congestion as was done successfully on the S.F./Oakland Bay Bridge last July - but there are major differences.

February 1, 2011 - San Mateo County Times via Mercury News

The Oprah Show says San Luis Obispo, California is America's Happiest City, citing urban planning decisions like making the town pedestrian-friendly with wide sidewalks and limiting fast food drive-throughs.

January 31, 2011 - Oprah.com

The Tea Party has it all wrong, writes Joel Mills. Urban planning is not a radical, elitist agenda, but the best example of local democracy available today.

January 31, 2011 - Joel Mills

In this Q&A, urban planning professor Mitchell Moss explains how budget crises at the federal, state and local levels will affect transit funding in New York City and other places.

January 31, 2011 - The Shoshin Project

The mayor of the small town of Lancaster, California, has proposed broadcasting recordings of bird noises along one of the city's main streets to "make people happier".

January 31, 2011 - CBS

The Domino Effect is a new documentary film that explores the process of real estate development in New York City to uncover the complex networks of banks, developers, politicians, and non-profit organizations that shape our cities.

January 30, 2011 - L Magazine

A recent report shows that fast growing cities had lower incomes and bigger income drops during the recession. Mary Newsom digests the report and delves into what it means for cities looking forward.

January 30, 2011 - Citiwire