Government / Politics

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

Long Island's Nassau County is one of the nation's wealthiest counties, yet its inability to balance its budget (though the county executive claims it's in surplus) is a warning to other counties to get their finances in order before repealing taxes.

January 30, 2011 - The New York Times - N.Y. / Region

Do you know the difference between taxis and livery cars? This op-ed by a taxi driver/author explains the difference. It is timely because Mayor Bloomberg will propose a rule that will make the two more similar, and (yellow) cab drivers oppose it.

January 29, 2011 - The New York Times - Opinion

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has introduced a new bill proposing to completely defund the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

January 28, 2011 - HousingWire

In what looks like a developing battle between states and cities over redevelopment, the California state comptroller announced that he will audit 18 redevelopment agencies.

January 28, 2011 - Los Angeles Times

Two Staten Island Republicans want to throw a wrench in the city's bike lane boom by requiring environmental review for all new lanes. Experts explain why that's a bad idea.

January 27, 2011 - Streetsblog

Haitian government hires planners who propose a better urban environment than existed prior to the devastating earthquake.

January 27, 2011 - New Urban Network

Mayors across the country are facing the possible loss of federal Community Development Block Grants, which could pull many local projects aimed at helping low-income residents to a halt.

January 27, 2011 - Governing

Two soccer teams in England are in the midst of a battle over who will take over the stadium being built for the 2012 Olympics in London. They're arguing over who will leave the better legacy.

January 27, 2011 - The Guardian

When Los Angeles drained Owens Lake to bring water into its quickly growing urban basin, it simultaneously created a dry lakebed and one of the worst dust pollution problems in America. Various efforts to fight the problem have only failed.

January 27, 2011 - Places

Hundreds of townships in Indiana serve fewer than 1,000 people each, prompting some government officials to call for consolidation to reduce wasted resources.

January 26, 2011 - The Indianapolis Star

Planners in Jacksonville are getting behind plans to encourage more infill development by getting rid of an older rule that was seen to contribute to sprawl.

January 26, 2011 - The Florida Times-Union

While transportation activists in Los Angeles are getting behind a plan to cram 30 years of transportation projects into a decade, environmentalists in nearby San Diego want to do 50 years worth in the same amount of time.

January 26, 2011 - Streetsblog LA

With a downtown largely devoid of trees, Minneapolis is considering a new plan that would add more green life and greenspace to the city's center.

January 26, 2011 - MinnPost

This debate from China Daily offers a point-counterpoint over whether Chinese cities should be embarking on major subway building projects.

January 26, 2011 - China Daily

The U.S. spends far less on its infrastructure than many other countries, which some say will hurt the nation's competitiveness. The U.S. needs to build infrastructure, but as Neal Peirce argues, with a few caveats.

January 25, 2011 - Citiwire

The U.S. war in Afghanistan is also a broad infrastructure building effort, according to military officials who talk about a rail building effort known as the Silk Road Initiative

January 25, 2011 - Transportation Nation

Redevelopment agencies are vital to job creation and necessary for central cities to stem suburban job sprawl, claims Gerald Metcalf, executive director of a SF urban think tank (SPUR), countering CA Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed elimination of them.

January 24, 2011 - San Francisco Chronicle - Sunday Insight