Government / Politics
A Tale of Two Niagaras
Niagara Falls, NY and Niagara Falls, Ontario are a study in contrasts -- Ontario's a success story of good governance and planning, New York's the complete opposite. Rob Gurwitt has the story.
City Selling Itself
Neosho, Missouri, facing a severe budget crisis, is searching its inventory for property it can sell off. Some say the easy properties have already been sold.
Oklahoma City Releases Broad New Plan
A broad new plan has been unveiled in Oklahoma City. Included in the plan is a new 70-acre downtown park and a raft of transit improvements.
Searching for a 21st Century Transportation Bill
Transportation officials are talking more and more about drafting a brand new type of transportation bill, one that diverges from the patterns and old thinking of the past. But that's easier said than done.
Randal O'Toole Wants to Abolish the DOT
Barring that, he has some eight proposals for the transportation reauthorization bill, including eliminating long-range transportation planning and clean air mandates.
Ads Cleaned Into Streets: 'Reverse Grafitti'?
Planetizen's Nate Berg reports on advertisers in Los Angeles using steam cleaners to put corporate logos into the grimy sidewalk. Advertisers claim, "If anything, we've improved public property. We've cleaned up streets that were normally filthy."
Friday Funny: German Terrorists Attack Fake California Town
A German filmmaker seeking publicity pulled a hoax on the German news, creating a fake terrorist attack on the fake California City of Bluewater. The elaborate hoax involved creating fake websites for the city and the local TV station.
Federal Mag-Lev Funding Reignites Debate in Las Vegas
Federal authorities recently announced $45 million in support of plans to construct a magnetic levitation train line between Las Vegas and Southern California, re-igniting a debate over two proposed rail connections.
Seattle Suburb Has its Eyes on License Plates
In the Seattle suburb of Medina, security cameras are now capturing all vehicle driving into the city, and using license plate recognition software to check cars and drivers for criminal records.
Judge Rules Against Efforts to Stall California's High Speed Rail
A judge has overruled challenges from two northern California cities over the siting of the state's proposed high speed rail line. Environmental studies can now move forward.
SPECIAL REPORT: A Lobbying Free-For-All
Thousands of special interest groups are competing to influence the new transportation bill. Reporter Matthew Lewis sheds light on the most significant players, in an extensive report from the Center for Public Integrity.
DC Goes NU
New Urban News looks at the growing influence of New Urbanists and their ideas in Washington, from the appointment of former CNU director Shelley Poticha to a HUD position to the new Livable Communities Act proposed by Sen. Christopher Dodd.
Stimulus Spreading Work to Otherwise Barren Field of Architecture
Work has been hard to find for many architects over the last year. But for architects doing federal work, the story is a bit different.
Town Seek to Share Services as Budgets Dwindle
As city and state budgets tighten, town in New Jersey are looking to join forces and share services.
Charlotte Light Rail May See Six Year Delay
In an effort to give themselves more time to pay for it, transit officials in Charlotte may delay an 11-mile light rail extension for six years.
The Two Paths to Sustainability
Achieving sustainability can take one of two paths, according to Richard Carson: centralized or decentralized policy. Choosing one will be crucial.
Toronto Planner Appointed to UK Commission on Architecture
Christopher Hume talks to Joe Berridge, a Toronto planner who has been appointed to Britain's Commission on Architecture and the Built Environment, about the power of urban design.
Deadly Water Going By Unregulated
This investigation from The New York Times examines water pollution records from across the country and finds more than half a million violations that are causing deadly pollution to local water resources.
Don't Forget Roads, Says Kotkin
Joel Kotkin explains why the Obama Administration's focus on transit is wrong-headed and doesn't do anything for the majority of Americans.
Texas Officials Call For End to Border Fence
Texas officials are calling on the federal government to ditch plans to build a pedestrian fence along the U.S.-Mexico border, arguing the fence will not stop illegal crossing.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
