Government / Politics
Incentives for Energy Efficiency Expanding
The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Housing Administration are looking to increase energy efficiency incentives for homeowners, including opportunities for larger home loans.
LA ExpressLanes (aka HOT Lanes) Toll Schedule Set
LA's Metropolitan Transportation Authority has set a toll 'schedule' for solo motorists on the new High Occupancy Toll, or 'ExpressLanes', as the MTA refers to them, on the 10 and 110 freeways. Opening date may be 2010.
LaHood To Congress: VMT-Reduction A 'Must' To Reduce Global Warming
Testifying to the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee on July 14, DOT Secretary Ray LaHood clearly states that fuel efficiency must be complemented with livable communities and transit to reduce transportation-related carbon emissions.
Church Charged With Zoning Violation for Food Giveaway
A church in Phoenix has been ordered to stop giving out free food to the homeless, which the city says is out of compliance with the church's zoning.
Building Codes: Most Important Aspect of Climate Bill
Architect Edward Mazria looks at the climate bill heading to the Senate for approval and argues that its most important part is the section on building energy codes, which he calls "more powerful than 100 nuclear plants".
Transportation Bill Could Face Months-Long Delay
The federal transportation bill seems unlikely to pass any time soon, according to legislators. They have yet to reach any consensus about the mechanisms for funding the bill.
Stimulus Funds New Transit Projects, Doesn't Sustain Old Ones
The Obama administration has been touting its dedication of $48.1 billion in stimulus money to roads and transit projects. But it's all going towards new projects, not day-to-day operational needs.
New Jersey Planner Facing Corruption Charges
Jersey City senior planning aide Guy Catrillo has been charged with attempted extortion by the FBI as part of a broad corruption sting in the state.
Poticha Appointed to HUD Position
Shelley Poticha, President and CEO of Reconnecting America and past executive director of the Congress for New Urbanism, has been appointed Senior Advisor for Sustainable Housing and Communities at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Sabotaging the Smart Grid
James Surowiecki argues that state governments are sabotaging the economic recovery, and simultaneously sinking the creation of a smart energy grid.
Tracking Metropolitan Unemployment
A recent report from The Brookings Institution examines unemployment trends in the urban and suburban areas of the top 100 metropolitan areas in the U.S., mainly by looking at the demand for "safety net" services.
Three Year Deadline to Find New Water for Georgia
The drama over water between Florida, Alabama and Georgia is heating up, as a U.S. District Court ruled recently that Georgia's withdrawals from Lake Lanier are illegal. It's going to have to find a new source of water -- and inter-state cooperation.
Energy Secretary Steven Chu Entertains Daily Show's Jon Stewart
While the Comedy Show's Jon Stewart can't get too excited about “Cap & Trade,” Secretary of Energy Steven Chu does his best to explain the importance of the Waxman-Markey climate legislation to him.
Solving Scarce Parking With 'Benefit Districts'
Transportation planners in San Francisco are proposing "parking benefit districts" where residents control pricing and boundaries to make parking easier in the congested city.
HUD Community Development Fund Down 34% In Proposed Fed. Budget
While HUD's budget has decreased by 4%, the Federal Railroad Administration is up 35%. This is just one of the revelations to be found in this interactive graphic of the Obama Administration's proposed federal budget for 2010.
Stimulus Projects Bring Delays to Nation's Roads
Thousands of stimulus-funded transportation projects are underway this summer, creating thousands of delays on the nation's roads.
Charging Cyclists to Build Bike Infrastructure
Officials in Washington's Clark County are considering a plan to enact an annual fee for bicyclists to fund bike-related infrastructure.
Open City Data, But How Much?
Opening city data to the public was a relatively new idea when the District of Columbia began publishing its data streams online recently. As applications using the data developed, some in the District got a little weary of the idea.
Banning Billboards
The city of El Paso, Texas, considers whether to become the latest of several cities to impose new restrictions on billboards that amounts to a ban on future construction.
Study Showing Danger of Cellphone Driving Buried
The former head of the NHTSA has admitted that he was encouraged to bury the results of a study showing the mounting risk of cellphone use by drivers. The study is being released today under a Freedom of Information Act request.
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)
