Government / Politics
Urban Policies and the Impact of the Tea Party
As the Tea Party prepares to move into its new seats in the Congress, many are left wondering what impact they will have on urban issues and legislation.
Cities Take Business Approach to Planning
Cities around the world are applying business-style techniques to planning and encouraging economic development.
Considering Bankruptcy in Michigan
The tiny city of Hamtramck, Michigan, is edging closer to bankruptcy, as budget woes grow.
Rio's New Citywide Control Room
IBM is partnering with the city of Rio de Janeiro to build a massive "citywide control room" to monitor and respond to emergencies.
The Federal Government's Green Building Megaproject
The federal government set aside $5.5 billion in stimulus funding to retrofit its huge fleet of buildings. $4.5 billion is to be spent on green building projects, some of which have already been launched.
Small-Scale Development in Detroit
Reviving a city like Detroit requires small steps, writes Roberta Brandes Gratz, who looks at block-level projects in the city.
Still A Nonprofit, But No Longer Tax-Exempt
In an attempt to avoid new debt and decrease existing budget deficits, many cash-strapped cities and states are levying a host of new fees that don't provide exemption to nonprofits such as churches, schools, and charities.
Beijing's Plan To Limit Traffic Antagonizes Auto Dealers
To reduce congestion, Beijing will follow in Shanghai's footsteps set 10 years ago by limiting new car registrations; only Beijing residents will be able to obtain one,and only vehicles with such plates will be allowed entrance to city center in 2011
LaHood's Pitch To Florida: Go Forward With HSR
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood wrote a major address to the nation in support of high speed rail that appeared in Florida's Orlando Sentinel. Streetsblog notes the significance of that paper in light of events in Wisconsin and Ohio.
South and West Get More Influential
Yonah Freemark says that new Census data is revealing that the South and West are growing while the Midwest and East are shrinking, which could signal a shift in policy from traditionally urban areas to more exurban-centric regions.
Crowdsourcing the City
"Give a Minute" is a program that seeks ideas for fixing cities directly from the people who use them, using ads in newspapers and displays in public spaces to ask a big question, such as "What would get you to walk, bike or take transit more often?"
Re-Engineering Public Housing in Atlanta
Public housing remains one of the major dysfunctional elements in U.S. welfare policy. But in Atlanta, one innovative administrator is changing the game.
Beatles Crosswalk Gains Historic Protection
The crosswalk pictured on the cover of the Beatles' album Abbey Road has been designated a historic place in London.
Gov 2.0 Grows
Gov 2.0 is on the rise, and an increasing amount of cities and groups are getting behind efforts to improve the way cities function by better processing their data.
The Head of New York's Streets Revolution
Grist's Sarah Goodyear talks with New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan about her work in the city -- and what other cities can learn from it.
Status Quo Sprawl Lives On in Fresno
The approval of a massive shopping center in Fresno, California, highlights the city's inability to move beyond its sprawl-centric tendencies, according to this piece from The Fresno Bee.
Shrinking Cities Means Shuttered Churches
The Archdiocese of Detroit is working with city planners and local demographers as they develop their plans for Catholic parish closures.
Big Signs May Top Downtown Seattle Buildings
Seattle is considering a new policy that will allow companies to place large signs atop buildings downtown. It's part of an effort to lure companies downtown, but many locals are outraged.
Postal Service as Mobile Urban Data Collector
The U.S. Postal Service operates a massive fleet of trucks and vans throughout the country. Michael Ravnitzky argues that this fleet could be easily modified to collect data about the places the vehicles go.
New Census Figures Put U.S. Population at 308,745,538
NPR reports how it will affect the electoral college, noting those that will gain House seats (south and west; mostly red) and the losers (north and mid-west; LA the exception; mostly blue). The Times reports on the importance of minorities.
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.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
