Government / Politics

With Little Government Assistance, Intercity Bus Services Struggle to Regain Footing
Although intercity buses provide a crucial service to millions of Americans, the industry has been shut out of recent pandemic assistance programs while riders continue to experience dismal facilities and shrinking service options.

Boosters and Breakthroughs in Vermont
The most vaccinated state in the U.S. may tell us where the future of the country is headed in the war against the coronavirus. Could it become a 'pandemic of the vaccinated'?

Boulder County Asks for Binding Agreement From RTD for More Transit Service
County officials claim the region has not seen improved transit service despite the infusion of federal funding aimed at increasing service in small urbanized areas.

California Bans Insurance Companies From Dropping Homeowners in Wildfire Zones
The one-year moratorium is a stopgap measure to assist homeowners affected by recent wildfires as the state assesses ways of addressing the root causes of increasingly damaging natural disasters.

Eliminating Single-Family Zoning Alone Won't Solve California's Housing Crisis
While zoning reforms can help reduce barriers to building more housing, high construction costs and local opposition mean that the state won't see an immediate boom in density.

Outdated State and Federal Road Design Rules Hinder Freeway Removal
Although some cities are in favor of removing or reducing urban freeways in favor of more walkable spaces, guidelines like the 11-year-old MUTCD still encourage a 'throughput at all costs' mentality.

Sales Tax Could Fully Fund Cincinnati Viaduct
One of Southwest Ohio's most urgent infrastructure projects would move forward if the SORTA board approves a recent proposal to allocate Issue 7 funding to the replacement plan for the Western Hills Viaduct.

Is Historic Preservation Zoning?
In a victory for preservationists, the Texas Supreme Court upheld Houston's Historic Preservation Ordinance despite a lawsuit alleging that the ordinance constitutes illegal zoning rules.

Obama Presidential Center Breaks Ground on Chicago's South Side
Years of controversy and delay were in the rearview this week when the Obamas joined the governor of Illinois and the mayor of Chicago to break ground on the Obama Presidential Center .

A State-by-State Wish List for Federal Infrastructure Funding
States have a laundry list of major projects they'd like to see funded if the trillion-dollar infrastructure package passes.

D.C. Considers Centering Equity in Transportation and Land Use Planning Decisions
A plan to prioritize equity would, according to regional planners, increase access to jobs and resources, reduce emissions, and improve public health.

NPR: HUD Sells Flood-Prone Homes Without Disclosing Risks
The troubling trend is particularly pronounced in lower-income communities, where experts worry households are being inadvertently set up for big financial losses.

Census Delays Release of 2020 American Community Survey Data
Due to the challenges faced by data collectors during the pandemic, the Census Bureau will not be releasing 2020 ACS data in September as usual.

Alaska Activates Crisis Standards of Care
Daily new COVID cases per capita in Alaska are the nation's highest. The crisis standards enable overwhelmed hospitals to ration care. Gov. Mike Dunleavy recognized the crisis yet saw no need to take steps to reduce coronavirus transmission.

How the AI Economy is Shaping Cities
Like other technologies, artificial intelligence tech seems to be clustering in a small group of cities, prompting questions about its uneven deployment.

Opinion: Car-Centric Cities Hurt Kids
Designing neighborhoods with children in mind could reduce traffic fatalities and improve the health and well-being of kids.

A Tour of Houston's Rapidly Gentrifying Neighborhoods
These Houston communities have experienced the most dramatic demographic changes in the last decade, according to new Census data.

Chicago Dismantles Leland 'Slow Street' Three Months Early
Citing neighborhood concerns, the city is ending the Slow Street program on Leland Street as more parks and beaches reopen, but advocates want to see more permanent traffic calming measures.

California Set to Decriminalize Jaywalking
Pedestrian and civil rights advocates have long argued that jaywalking laws are overly punitive and unequally enforced.

Pedestrian Malls in the 21st Century
The successes and failures of past pedestrian malls can inform the future of pandemic-induced "open streets" programs.
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