Government / Politics
Public Transit, Private Parking
High demand for parking spaces at a transit station has prompted one city to consider banning residents of other cities from using the parking lot.
Worries Over UGB-Splitting Bill And The Onslaught Of Sprawl
A powerful home builders lobby in Oregon helped push a bill through the state legislature that some say threatens the urban growth boundary for the city of Eugene, and essentially opens the flood gates for sprawl in the area.
Washington Needed After All?
Much has been made recently about how U.S. municipal and state governments aren't waiting for the federal government to act on climate change. Now it appears that these efforts can't succeed without Washington.
High Bottled Water Spending Prompts City Ban
Amid revelations that San Francisco City government had been spending almost half a million dollars a year on bottled water, the mayor has instituted a ban that would require all government water use to come straight from the tap.
Minneapolis Looks To Crack Down On McMansions
The Minneapolis City Council has proposed measures that would limit the size of new houses in the city -- a move targeting oversized 'McMansion' homes that already account for about 1% of the housing stock.
Not Your Typical Town Hall Meeting
Once a month, a Minnesota drug store transforms itself into a neighborhood town hall meeting place where Democratic candidates vying for nearly any Minnesota office come to discuss and debate issues with the people they look to represent.
Bill To Protect Cyclists From Careless Drivers Passes
The Oregon Legislature has passed a bill that will increase penalties to drivers who carelessly injure or kill pedestrians, cyclists, and other "vulnerable" road users. Convicted offenders could face a one-year license suspension.
Second Home Owners Engaging In Activism
Vacation home owners are getting involved in local issues in their second communities.
U.S. Cities Follow Californian Opposition To Wal-Mart
Many cities are following the lead of various municipalities up and down California that are using any and all possible powers to prevent Wal-Marts from moving in. But despite the growing opposition, business is booming.
Michael Bloomberg: Chairman Of The Big Apple
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg views citizens as customers and city workers as assets. How does this translate into a new city hall transparency and vastly improved city services?
Documentary Follows Suburban Development Fight In Austin
"The Unforeseen," a new documentary, takes a thoughtful look at the various interests at stake in the development of sprawling real estate in Austin.
Seattle Grapples With Tree Losses
A rash of illegal tree cutting in Seattle has prompted local officials to act on the city's decreasing amount of trees and canopy cover. Tree-planting efforts hope to build the canopy back from less than its current city coverage of less than 20%.
New US Embassy In Baghdad Looks Like Suburban Sprawl
LA Times architectural critic Christopher Hawthorne examines the depressing-looking new and massive 104-acre U.S. embassy compound being constructed in Iraq within the 'Green Zone'.
Chicago's Green Plans Falling Short
Despite big plans to make the city a national example for environmental friendliness, some say Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's measures have failed to produce the intended results.
Outsourcing Local Government?
Sandy Springs, Georgia, with 80,000 residents, has apparently successfully outsourced all government functions, except for police and fire services.
What Toronto Could Learn From Chicago
Margaret Wente lists Chicago's strengths and criticizes Toronto's mayor for the city's problems.
'Flawed' Proposal May Be Last Chance
A long-planned transit tunnel connecting the greater Washington D.C. region to Dulles International Airport is coming up for a vote, but officials say the only way to keep the plan alive is to approve what is a seriously flawed proposal.
Panhandling Becomes A Crime In Minneapolis
The Minneapolis City Council has approved a measure to crack down on panhandling.
Multiple-Choice Property Tax
In what may be a first for the U.S., the state of Florida is proposing a plan to offer property owners a choice between two ways of calculating property taxes.
Presidential Candidate Stumps For Light Rail
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson promised to redirect funding from roads to mass transit if he's elected President.
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.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
