Government / Politics

South Bay Area

Wealthy Bay Area Communities Fight Housing Targets

Some California cities and counties are appealing regional housing allocations, which could have a meaningful impact on how and where development occurs over the next decade.

August 16, 2021 - The Mercury News

Natural Resources Conservation Service's Wetlands Reserve Program

How to Fight Climate Change and Increase Resiliency, Naturally

Five actions governments could take quickly to reduce emissions and restore ecosystems.

August 16, 2021 - NRDC

An image of the Sample Gates at the entrance of the college campus of Indiana University Bloomington, with a street and the city in the background.

Supreme Court Allows Indiana University's Vaccine Mandate to Remain in Place

The Supreme Court rejected a request brought by students to block Indiana University from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations. Students, faculty, and staff are required to be fully vaccinated by August 15.

August 16, 2021 - USA Today

View of Portland, Oregon from Pittock Mansion

The Long Road to Portland's Historic Residential Infill Project

How the journey of one zoning reform campaign can inform future efforts.

August 16, 2021 - Sightline

Strete view of 34th Avenue in Queens, New York

How Can NYC Keep its 'Open Streets' Post-Pandemic?

A debate over one Queens 'open street' project illustrates the challenges of maintaining open streets.

August 16, 2021 - New York Times

Amtrak Train

New Infrastructure Bill Guts Transit, EVs, and Safety Programs

The proposed bill keeps road funding almost intact while cutting funding for electrification, rail, and community development.

August 15, 2021 - Streetsblog USA

Maricopa County, Arizona

Why It's So Difficult to Measure Heat Deaths

Without a standard for recording and classifying heat-related deaths, experts believe the scale of the problem is much bigger than numbers let on.

August 15, 2021 - PBS

An image of stadium seats at Petco Park in San Diego, with new buildings under construction nearby in the background.

Former San Diego Mayor Leaves Pro-Development Politics Behind for Recall Race

While Mayor of San Diego, Republican Kevin Faulconer made a name for himself as a prominently YIMBY politician. He's abandoned those views now that he's running for Gov. Gavin Newsom's spot in the state's recall race.

August 12, 2021 - Voice of San Diego

Social Distancing

Vaccinated Californians Estimated to Account for 20% of Current COVID Infections

State and national health authorities are unusually tight-lipped when it comes to so-called vaccine breakthrough infections, so one Bay Area newspaper editorial page editor did the math himself.

August 12, 2021 - The Mercury News

Hells Kitchen Sidewalk New York City

Looking Beyond the 'Sidewalk Ballet:' Jane Jacobs in the 21st Century

While The Death and Life of Great American Cities remains an urban planning classic, today's planners must contend with challenges that Jacobs couldn't have anticipated.

August 12, 2021 - The Globe and Mail (Toronto)

Roanoke, Virginia

How Virginia Communities Are Encouraging 'Missing Middle Housing'

Local leaders hope that streamlining permit processes and eliminating restrictive zoning regulations will set the groundwork for increased production of small and mid-sized multi-family housing.

August 12, 2021 - The Virginia Mercury

Washington Monuments

D.C.'s Flexible Rent Subsidy Helps Families Avoid Homelessness

The program gives households a rent subsidy that can be used flexibly over time, making it a valuable tool for workers with fluctuating incomes.

August 12, 2021 - Urban Institute

Coronavirus

Opposition to LaGuardia AirTrain Plan Emerges After Cuomo Resigns

A highly criticized project has new critics among staffers at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

August 11, 2021 - New York Post

Coronavirus Testing

COVID-19, AIDS, and CDC Guidance

Music critic Joel Rozen pens a unique perspective for Slate's "Coronavirus Diaries" on the Provincetown, Massachusetts cluster that prompted the CDC on July 27 to reverse its masking guidance for the fully vaccinated issued a month earlier.

August 10, 2021 - Slate

Capitol Hill

Bipartisan 'Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act' Passes the Senate

A final vote of 69-30, with 19 Republicans joining their Democratic colleagues in the Senate, will send the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to the House.

August 10, 2021 - James Brasuell

Electric Cars

Too Much Focus on EVs in Infrastructure Bill

Funding the electrification of personal vehicles won't move the needle on climate change nearly as much as investing in infrastructure that lets people get out of their cars, mode shift advocates argue.

August 9, 2021 - Streetsblog USA

Rent Jubilee

Landlords Filing Evictions to Speed Rent Relief Funds

Because many rent relief programs prioritize tenants actively facing eviction, some Ohio landlords are using eviction to speed up the process.

August 9, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Highway Construction

More Details from the Massive Infrastructure Bill and its Amendments

The bill's more than 400 amendments include a VMT pilot, a Texas megahighway, and funding for accessibility at transit stations.

August 9, 2021 - Streetsblog USA

Illinois Freeway

Why Infrastructure Spending Should Center Equity

To begin to reverse decades of discrimination and disinvestment, future infrastructure spending must put equity at the forefront.

August 9, 2021 - Fast Company

Stanford

Opinion: Build Density in Palo Alto–and Lots of It

To keep up with demand and slow the astronomical rise in housing costs, Palo Alto and other Silicon Valley cities must overcome local opposition to density and high-rises.

August 9, 2021 - San Francisco Chronicle

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.

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.