Government / Politics
Is Obama's Urban Policy Office DOA?
During the campaign, Obama promised U.S. mayors that he'd create an Office of Urban Policy. But indications so far are that the office is facing a significant downgrade, writes Dayo Olopade.
Opportunity Arises to Revise California's Prop 13
Proposition 13 has long been associated with California's budget woes and "fiscalization of land use" policies. Meant to apply primarily to residential property, commercial property owners have benefited more. 'Split role' could correct the problem.
Plea for Preservation
Detroit, now no stranger to demolitions, ought to rethink what it does with its abandoned, historic buildings--which have long been bulldozed without much of a second thought.
Contemplating a Neighborhood Design Standard
The effects of the U.S. Green Building Council's new LEED-ND certification for neighborhoods leaves plenty of questions to be answered regarding its effects (intended or not) on land use, sprawl, and property values.
From Grimy to Green
Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has unveiled plans to turn an industrial parcel of land near downtown into "the global capital of clean technology."
3 Out Of 10 'Best Cities in the World' Are Swiss
The 2009 Mercer Quality of Living Survey is dominated by Swiss, German and Austrian cities, while Vancouver hangs on to fourth place, the only city in the Americas to crack the top 10.
CA's Low Carbon Fuel Standard Regulation Is Approved
CA's Air Resources Board approved another 'first' - a low carbon fuel standard that will play a key role in meeting the state's aggressive climate action plan by reducing the carbon intensity of transportation fuels. Winners and losers are created.
Australian Province Considers Free Transit
The government of New South Wales is considering a plan to remove fares for public transit.
Creating a 'Smart' Grid Will Be a Challenge
Creating a "smart" grid to better handle the nation's electricity sounds like a great idea, but the job's going to be a tough -- and expensive.
Bay Area Adopts Regional Transportation Plan
On Earth Day, the Bay Area's MPO- the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, formally adopted their Regional Transportation Plan that includes a controversial 800-mile High Occupancy Toll lane network that is dependent on the passage of legislation.
How the Road Construction Industry is Destroying Japan
How the "road tribes" — the impenetrable scrum of bureaucrats, politicians and industry that benefit from an ever-expanding program of road construction — are literally paving the road to national ruin in Japan.
Should Cities Regulate Library Internet Use?
The city of San Jose decides against adding filters to public library computers to block websites with pornography.
Doing the Waterfront Right
Philadelphia's SugerHouse waterfront development could learn a thing or two from San Francisco's Mission Bay neighborhood, according to this piece.
Plans for Retrofitting, Audits Announced for NYC
In a step toward accomplishing PlaNYC's goal of reducing the city's carbon emissions by 30% in the next twenty years, Mayor Bloomberg has announced that larger buildings will be retrofitted to be more energy efficient.
Smart Grids to Get More Funding
The Energy Department has announced that it will be increasing grant limits to implement smart grid technology. The current $20 million per grant, officials say, just isn't enough to get the technology used at a commercial scale.
Opening the 'Superfund' Can of Worms
The EPA's proposal to list the Gowanus Canal as a Superfund site is getting mixed reactions from nearby residents and officials: some see the designation as a development-halting stigma, others as quite the opposite.
Fed Money Announced for CA's National Parks
Twenty-two national parks in California will get a portion of $97 million to repair historic buildings, install solar panels, and fix trails.
Silver Line Expansion Hits a Speed Bump
The second phase of a rail line extending to Dulles International Airport is slated for completion in December 2016--later than expected--thanks to delays in getting Congressional funding for the first half of the project.
Vatican Reveals Solar Plant Plans
Vatican City has plans to build the largest solar plant in Europe, which will supply enough power for 40,000 households in a state of 900 inhabitants.
Shrinking Cities, On Purpose
Flint, Michigan is another ailing city that is considering demolishing entire neighborhoods and returning them to nature as a way to save the rest of the city from blight.
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 Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
