Government / Politics
River Port Should Be Shared Asset
This editorial calls on public officials in South Carolina and Georgia to work together to build a river port that will benefit them both.
Outrage Over Pittsburgh Transit Agency Implosion
The city's Port Authority has proposed cutting 25 percent of its bus and rail service and hiking fares by 75 cents to plug an $80 million budget deficit.
Out-Of-Touch Planning Blamed For High Home Prices In Australia
Planning and land use regulations are being blamed for Australia's high home prices, and also for the fact that four of its major cities are in a list of the 25 most unaffordable cities. Some feel planners are not planning with the people in mind.
Will Scotland's First New Urbanist Town Be Built?
Despite support for the plan and the amenities it provides for Inverness, some fear that Andres Duany's planned town of Tornagrain is not needed.
City Hall Is Best Left In The Center Of The City
Mayor Tom Menino's proposal to move Boston City Hall to the south waterfront ignores the importance of the building's location, and the recent developments in downtown.
Columnist Lampoons LA's Deputy Mayor for Transportation on His Hummer
Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez takes the city's Deputy Mayor for Transportation to task for driving a Hummer. 'It's smaller than a Yukon.'
Chef Burns U.S. Farm Bill
A New York chef lays in on the policy failures, lost local economies, damaged environments, and the bland food that have resulted from the U.S. Farm Bill, which will have its every-half-decade facelift in Congress this year.
Austin Tries A Waterfront High Rise (Again)
In a rerun of a failed 1999 plan to build a high-rise near the city's Town Lake, officials in Austin, Texas, are looking to increase downtown density. The City is hoping this try works, but the original plan's opponents are still opposed.
Town-Gown Showdown
The City of Santa Cruz and its University of California campus are struggling to come to terms with the university’s ambitious plans for growth and its impact on the city.
Growth Means More Seats In House For Texas
According to Census data and growth projections, Texas appears to be on track to gain between two and four seats in the U.S. House of Representatives when the seats are reallocated in 2010. The rise in population will also increase federal funding.
Labor Unions And Republican Conservationists Join Forces To Protect Wildlife Habitat
An unlikely group of Republicans and Democrats, the Union Sportsman's Alliance, will be formed on Jan. 23 to protect lands in the Rocky Mountain West for hunting and fishing that are largely threatened because of energy exploration.
Supreme Court Declines Hearing Of Eminent Domain Case
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a New York property owner's case against his city for its use of eminent domain to acquire his land for the development of a drugstore. The owner claimed that a drugstore was not a true 'public use'.
Escaping A Disaster Without A Car
Drawing on lessons from Hurricane Katrina, disaster experts and government officials are gathering in New Orleans to discuss how to develop emergency plans for those who can't or don't drive.
Kansas City May Foot Bill To Attract Pro Team
Despite a long-held promise of not spending any city money to attract a tenant to Kansas City's now-vacant sports arena, the city may be willing to pay millions to build a practice facility in an effort to woo a pro hockey or basketball team.
Austin Grapples With Downtown Height Limits
Developers in the city's booming downtown are pushing to change the rules originally enacted to preserve view corridors to the Texas State Capitol Dome.
The Planning Process' Built-In Problems
This editorial from the San Francisco Examiner discusses why the planning system is not public-friendly, and by reducing public hearing and reporting requirements, the process will be less intimidating to the public.
New Generation Of City Managers Needed
As current city management professionals inch toward retirement, a shortage of younger candidates may mean tough times ahead for professionally managed cities.
Homestead Preservation District Could Soften The Blow Of Gentrification
With its downtown booming, Austin, Texas is trying to help homeowners who are feeling the squeeze from rising property values -- by buying their land.
Proposing A Regional Transit Authority In Washington
In Washington's Puget Sound, a proposal has been made to create a regional transit authority to oversee the coordination, planning, and financing of all transit projects for more than 128 transportation agencies in four counties.
Maryland's Governor Elect To Revive Smart Growth Policies
Governor-elect Martin O'Malley wants to redirect the state down the path of smart growth charted by former Governor Parris Glendening.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
