Government / Politics
How Cities Can Curb Climate Change and Protect Vulnerable Residents
A new U.N. report urges cities to upgrade their infrastructure to bolster climate resilience and build more sustainable, climate-friendly places.
No Evictions for Less Than $600, Says New D.C. Law
As part of a bill that made many COVID-era tenant protections permanent, the District voted to ban eviction filings for households owing less than $600 in back rent.
When Will We Believe in Induced Demand?
The well-documented concept has yet to catch on in state departments of transportation, but acknowledging it could dramatically transform U.S. transportation policy.
Building Safety, Climate Change, and Equity
A Portland coalition is drawing attention to the disproportionate impacts of unsafe and inefficient housing on low-income households and pushing for legislation that would mandate building improvements and tenant protections.
Denver Debates Inclusionary Housing Plan
Atlanta's inclusionary housing program, which closely reflects the proposed Denver plan, could serve as a bellwether for Denver's own future.
How Cities Are Resisting State Efforts To Increase Density
Cities are attempting to wrest back local control over land use and zoning via some ingenious—and sometimes disingenuous—strategies.
Tampa Rejects Rent Control, Citing Legal Concerns
The city council failed to move on a proposal that would have implemented rent stabilization, opting instead to explore other avenues for preventing evictions and improving the cost of housing.
CDC Relaxes Guidance to Allow Most Americans to Ditch Masking
In a major reversal, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised the metrics and thresholds that determine when masking is recommended. Only 5% of counties met the old metric on Feb. 25; now 70% of Americans need not don a mask indoors.
Resilience Matters: Opportunities for Action to Strengthen Communities
In this hopeful and frustrating year, contributors to the Island Press Urban Resilience Project celebrate our collective progress and challenges in a new free book of short and sweet articles, op-eds, and interviews. Essential reading for planners!
Paris To Ban Most Cars in 'Quiet Zone'
Continuing Mayor Anne Hidalgo's efforts to make Paris more accessible to pedestrians and cyclists, the city plans to implement a 'car-light' zone in the city center that prohibits through traffic.
The Uphill Battle Facing Section 8 Recipients
Housing voucher recipients face a gauntlet of challenges when trying to find housing. Nonprofits are doing their best to streamline the process.
Why a Complete Streets Makeover Went Awry in Philadelphia
The city pulled the plug on a proposed street redesign after community groups criticized the public engagement process for not listening to all local voices.
Houston Interstate Widening Continues To Threaten Communities
The proposed freeway expansion in downtown Houston has faced searing backlash from local residents who see the project as a relic of the era of rampant freeway construction and neighborhood disruption.
L.A.'s Housing Element, Considered Among California's Most Ambitious, Rejected by State Regulators
The California Housing Department gave credit to Los Angeles for targeting so much growth before telling the city it needed to do more.
Rural Washington's Infrastructure Wishlist
Rural Washington communities want to see federal infrastructure funding allocated to projects in the historically neglected eastern parts of the state.
How 'Liberty Politics' Cripples Road Safety Projects
Some states and cities are citing personal liberty and constitutional rights to oppose automated traffic enforcement and other road safety measures.
Fair Fares Program Criticized for Eligibility Threshold
Critics of the city's transit assistance program say limiting eligibility to people living at or below the federal poverty line excludes many low-income New Yorkers who depend on public transit.
Great Lakes To Receive $1 Billion from Infrastructure Bill For Restoration
An additional $1 billion in federal funding will bolster current efforts to clean polluted water sources and restore ecosystems in the Great Lakes region.
New York Legislature To Vote on Complete Streets Bills
A set of proposed laws would make streets safer for all road users in an effort to reduce traffic deaths.
Let the Endemic Planning Begin
The first state in the nation to issue a stay-at-home order to slow the spread of a novel coronavirus that humans had no immunity from became the first to release an actual endemic plan, complete with a fancy acronym, SMARTER.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
