Government / Politics
Traffic Survey Paints Picture of New York City Congestion
Through a survey of New York City taxis with GPS tracking devices, the city has created a database of speeds and routes that gives them a clear picture of the state of traffic in the city.
Land Use Success and Failure in Two Florida Towns
This post from NRDC's Kaid benfield compares the two Florida cities of Lehigh Acres and Venice, where land use decisions created one city doomed to fail and another that's on a fast rise.
Detroit Mayor Makes Big Plans in State of City Speech
Detroit Mayor Dave Bing recently delivered his first "state of the city" speech since taking office, and included a broad list of proposals that could bring about a widespread revisioning of the struggling city.
Portland's New Complex Aims At Curing Homelessness
The city of Portland is moving ahead with a $47 million shelter and services project known as the Resource Access Center. It's the largest efforts underway to solve the city's notorious homelessness problem.
Florida's Fast Train Connects to Slow Buses
The NYT examines problems with Florida's high speed rail line that received $1.25 billion in HSR stimulus funds. In addition to weak transit connections at both ends, the 84-mile route has five stops, increasing the total trip time.
Tech Tools Have Revolutionary Potential for Cities
Governing's Stephen Goldsmith looks at the trend of smart phone applications related to city governance and civic improvement. He sees huge potential in these early stages of a trend that's likely to experience exponential growth.
Cities Banning Digital Billboards
Digital billboards with flashing and changing images are being outlawed in cities across the country.
Experts Weigh in on Question of Bike-Car Equality
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently wrote on his blog that bicyclists would no longer be overlooked by federal transportation policy. National Journal asks its panel of experts whether cars and bikes should be treated equally.
NYC Transportation Head Offers Advice to LA
This video from Streetfilms shows excerpts from a recent speech in Los Angeles by New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, who had some advice for the traffic-plagued California city.
Challenges Face Ambitious New Metro Officials in Houston
When five new board members will join the Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority next month, they'll inherit a host of systemic problems and one of the toughest economic climates in decades.
Hosting Olympics, But At What Cost?
The Olympics can be a huge boon for cities -- in terms of international attention, physical legacies and infrastructural development. But they can also be a huge risk. This piece from Finance and Development looks at the pros and cons.
Finding a Home For America's Nuclear Waste
The Federal government has scrapped plans to make Nevada's Yucca Mountain the nation's main storage facility for nuclear waste, which raises the question: where will the waste go?
Deciding Which Homeowners To Bail Out
The Feds have $1.5 billion to help homeowners at risk of losing homes to foreclosure. Deciding just which homeowners to help is no easy task. This article looks at the decision-making process in Arizona, one of the five states receiving federal aid.
Momentum Builds Toward Chicago to St. Louis HSR
The IL state senate's 51-2 passage of a bill creating the Illinois and Midwest High Speed Rail Commission on March 18 is a major step toward planning the 150+ mph train from Chicago to St. Louis.
City Stunts Try to Lure Fiber Optic Internet
A handful of American cities are hoping to become testing grounds for a new fiber optic Internet connection being offered by Google. To catch the company's eye, many of these cities are making concerted -- and sometimes audacious -- efforts.
Global Cities Becoming Global Mega-Regions
A new report from the United Nations says that world cities are increasingly becoming mega-regions of developed areas, and governing these regions must become a new focus of governments.
How the Recession is Downsizing Local Government
Budget cuts are dramatically reshaping many local governments. This piece from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution looks at how the recession will restructure governments in the Atlanta area.
Saving Depleted River Could Unite War-Torn Region
This article from National Geographic examines the rapidly depleted Jordan River and how saving it could bring Israel and its quarreling neighbors together.
Pushing Forward a World Urban Campaign
City and government officials from around the world are in Rio de Janeiro to make the argument that urban hold the key to sustainability. Neal Peirce reports.
Regional Taxes For Transportation?
The NYT looks at a provision in a state assembly bill to restore transit funding to beleaguered CA transit agencies by allowing voters in regions to approve gas fees. Not only was the provision dropped by the Senate - the governor vetoed the bill.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
