Government / Politics
Smart Grid for a Smart City
Amsterdam has taken its smart grid live, installing solar panels and 300 electric car recharging stations throughout the city.
Incentivizing Pedestrian Areas Near Houston's Light Rail
City officials in Houston are set to consider plans to incentivize broad pedestrian walkways near existing and planned light rail stations within the city.
Dog Walkers, Unite!
Boulder's open space planners are calling for the intervention of different interest groups, including dog lovers, equestrians and hikers, to set rules for the city's most popular trails.
Mobile Homes: Common Source of Legal Disputes
Though they are still striving for social tolerance, mobile homes have managed to achieve a certain legal acceptance.
Big Possibilities, Big Dangers
A new growth management law in Florida is both good news and bad news, says Jane Healy of the Orlando Sentinel.
City Twitters
The City of Santee is using Twitter and Facebook to protest a planned prison expansion on nearby county land.
Caltrain: Fees Raised, Service Cut
Caltrain officials are planning to cut midday service by half, raise parking fees by 50 percent, and charge more for the monthly Go Pass.
End Of The Infrastructure Privatization Craze
It was hailed as the solution to America's infrastructure spending deficit, but the influx of private funds has come to halt along with the failure of banks and the huge investment from the Recovery Act. Plus, many schemes aroused taxpayers wrath.
Transportation Reauthorization Battles Ahead - Funding & Revenue Split
The transportation reauthorization bill will be hotly debated this fall on at least two fronts - finding a sustainable funding source and apportioning the revenues. The 18.4 cent gas tax, its funding source, declined 33% due to inflation since 1993.
Master Plan Derailed by Error
Officials of Bridgeport admitted that the city's Master Plan of Conservation and Development was improperly adopted last year.
Biden Plugs CA High-Speed Rail For Funding
Notwithstanding a $24.3 billion state budget deficit, CA is well-positioned to receive at least 10% of the Recovery Act funding for high speed rail, says Biden. Two corridors in southern and northern CA have been identified for funding.
Troubled Landmarks Rule in Chicago Could Upset Preservation Across U.S.
Chicago's historic landmarks ordinance is being challenged in the courts and is expected to be ruled unconstitutional. Blair Kamin discusses the impact the rule change could have on historic preservation in Chicago and beyond.
Eliminate Child Safety Program to Cut Budget?
House Republicans sent President Obama a $375 billion budget-cutting plan, which slices $1 billion from bicycle and pedestrian programs.
President Obama's Aiming for U.S.-China Deal
The Obama administration is making a U.S.-China deal on climate change a centerpiece, according to The Guardian (UK).
Highway Trust Fund - Near Broke, Again
Back in September, we reported that the trust fund had to receive an $8 billion bailout. Reuters reports that a second bailout is required to prevent the fund from going broke by August. Sen. Boxer indicates she supports indexing the gas tax.
220 California Parks to be Terminated?
With California facing a $24.3 billion deficit, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has released a budget that eliminates $70 million in funding for the state's parks system.
Bleak Budget Forces Tri-Rail To Consider Termination By 2011
Miami, Broward, and Palm Beach counties are unable to sustain their financial contributions to Tri-Rail, so weekend service will end and major cuts made to daily service.
Histories of No History: Commodification and Urbanization in the American West
Josh Stephens reviews two biographies of cities, The Dallas Myth: The Making and Unmaking of An American City and Reno’s Big Gamble: Image and Reputation in the Biggest Little City.
Rethinking Tax Abatements
Cities across the country are reconsidering tax abatement plans, in the new belief that cities just can't afford them.
Friday Funny: Planner Breaks Into Song
Pine Lake, Georgia City Council Member Melanie Hammet finds songwriting inspiration in the issues of land use planning.
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.
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
