Government / Politics

Three older women hold up signs protesting deportation and ICE abuses in New York City.

Commentary: In the Age of Mass Deportation, Mobility is a Civil Rights Issue

How transportation networks support — or impede — immigration enforcement systems.

March 10, 2026 - Streetsblog USA

Black and white image of Olympic cauldron lit during opening ceremonies at 1948 London Olympics.

Missing the Games? For 20 Years, Town Planning Was an Olympic Sport.

In the first half of the 20th century, the Olympic games actually had a medal competition for town planning.

March 5, 2026 - Atlas Obscura

Sign for congestion pricing in front of an elevated pedestrian walkway with cars lined up underneath in New York City.

Judge Rules to Keep NYC Congestion Pricing, Ending Trump's Legal Challenge

The decision likely deals a fatal blow to efforts to end the program, but the Trump administration says it will explore other avenues for reversing the congestion pricing scheme.

March 5, 2026 - Curbed

Portland MAX light rail train at station in Portland, Oregon.

February Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month

Transit agencies like BART and TriMet face lingering budget shortfalls, forcing major service cuts and layoffs, while federal plans to ban fare-free transit throw a wrench in NYC Mayor Mamdani’s proposal to make the city’s buses ‘fast and free.’

March 5, 2026 - Diana Ionescu

Unhoused people and tents surrounded by everyday items on sidewalk in Denver, Colorado.

Denver Cut Unsheltered Homelessness Almost in Half Even as Unhoused Population Grows

While the total number of Denver residents without permanent housing is growing, the city has leveraged its resources to quickly create over 1,000 new emergency shelter beds.

March 4, 2026 - Governing

Figure skater Alysa Liu holds up her gold medal against blue backgrounf at the Milan-Cortino Olympics.

Alysa Liu's Oakland Training Center Highlights the Importance of California's Defunded Redevelopment Agencies

The financial and legal ecosystem that led to the creation of the Oakland Ice Center no longer exists after California dissolved its state redevelopment agencies.

March 2, 2026 - Next City

Cover of Why Nothing Works book.

Review: Why Nothing Works

In “Why Nothing Works,” Marc Dunkelman argues that America’s political gridlock stems from an internal progressive conflict between Hamiltonian centralized efficiency and Jeffersonian individualized safeguards.

March 2, 2026 - Stephanie Rouse

A black Flock traffic camera with solar panel above it installed on a pole outdoors with car visible in background.

San Jose Moves to Rein in Flock Cameras, Joining in Backlash Amid Privacy Concerns

The city’s police chief is asking to limit the company’s data retention and sharing abilities.

March 1, 2026 - The Mercury News

People walking and biking on street in front of Grand Central Terminal in New York City.

Mamdani’s Budget Fails to Expand Open Streets, Breaking Campaign Promise

The proposed budget allocates $2 million to Summer Streets and Open Streets, less than the $2.1 million allocated by the Adams administration last year.

March 1, 2026 - StreetsBlog NYC

Close-up on black Flock surveillance license plate reader camera with solar panel.

Silicon Valley City Expels Automated License Plate Cameras Over Surveillance Fears

Mountain View, California voted to end their contract with Flock after residents protested the automated license plate readers.

February 27, 2026 - The Mercury News

Close-up on legs of two people walking on rainbow-painted crosswalk.

Austin Removes 3 Decorative Crosswalks After Feds Shut Down Safety Study

The crosswalks, two of which were painted with rainbow colors, were part of a safety study canceled by the FHWA in November.

February 24, 2026 - KUT

Road repair crew with sign reading 'Pothole Repair' on road.

Almost Half of US Roads are Locally Owned, but Receive Just 16% of Federal Funds. Local Leaders Want That to Change.

A coalition of state and local officials is calling on Congress to change how federal transportation funds are allocated to give local governments more control.

February 24, 2026 - Smart Cities Dive

White NYPD SUV parked curbside next to unhoused people sitting on sidewalk.

Mamdani Criticized for Continuing Homeless Sweeps

The mayor previously pledged to end the practice of clearing unhoused encampments, calling prior mayor Adams’ strategy a failure.

February 23, 2026 - City Limits

Boxy wood-frame two-story house under construction behind green construction fence in Los Angeles, California.

Report: LA Construction Permits Fell 40% After ‘Mansion Tax’

New housing permits fell sharply for both single-family homes and multifamily buildings after the city enacted a tax on property sales over $5 million.

February 20, 2026 - Anderson Review

Desert landscape with cactus in foreground and mountains in background in Big Bend National Park, Texas.

DHS Waived 28 Environmental and Historic Protection Laws to Expedite Building of South Texas Border Wall

The barrier would run through Big Bend National Park, raising alarms among environmentalists who say it will harm wildlife in the region.

February 19, 2026 - Inside Climate News

Red cranes over Gordie Howe Bridge spanning Detroit River.

Trump’s Canada Bridge Threat Could Kill a Rare International Bikeway

The President says he won’t allow the new Gordie Howe International Bridge to open “until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given” Canada.

February 19, 2026 - Streetsblog USA

Protesters holding up anti-Trump climate protest signs in front of Capitol dome in Washington DC.

Dear Trump: the Future Belongs to the Efficient

Trump abandoned climate protection goals claiming that cheap fossil fuel helps consumers and the economy. A mobility-focused analysis shows that he is wrong: resource efficiency is the key to health, economic success and happiness.

February 19, 2026 - Todd Litman

Protesters holding a blue "ICE out of LA" sign with LA Dodgers logo in Los Angeles.

LA Considers Reviving Zoning Rule That Would Prohibit ICE Facilities for Children

A 2019 proposal would bar private detention facilities from contracting with federal agencies to detain minors.

February 18, 2026 - LAist

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaking at a podium in front of American flag and White House logo on blue background.

USDOT Wants to Require 100% American-made Materials for EV Charging Stations

The proposal comes after a judge ruled against the agency’s attempt to rescind federal funds for electric car charging projects.

February 17, 2026 - Reuters

Man walks past homeless encampment behind concrete Jersey barriers on street in Oakland, California with RVs parked behind tents.

Oakland Mayor, City Council Offer ‘Radically Different’ Plans for Reducing Homelessness

Mayor Barbara Lee wants to reduce encampment sweeps and focus on improving sanitation while city council members want to increase enforcement, particularly against illegally parked RVs.

February 17, 2026 - The Mercury News

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.