Government / Politics
Friday Funny: Celebrating New Orleans' Recovery
An animation by Mark Fiore reviews the New Orleans rebuilding effort.
S.F. Redevelopment Opposition Denied On Technicality
A referendum opposing a redevelopment plan signed by more than 33,000 San Francisco voters has been ruled invalid, angering many who feel that the city is bending rules to appease developers and gentrify their neighborhood.
Stockholm Votes In Congestion Pricing -- And Its Opponents
Sorting out the politics of Stockholm congestion charging with James Savage, editor-in-chief of the Swedish, English-language newspaper, The Local.
Canada's Cities Demand Funding For Transit, Housing
With growing need for new infrastructure in Canada's growing urban centers, city officials are seeking to reclaim some of the revenue they send to Ottawa.
Waiting For Recovery, Eager To Plan
More than half of the residents in the small unincorporated community of Henderson Point, Mississippi, turned out to help begin planning for the rebuilding of their completely devastated community.
Bio-Diesel As A Rural Development Strategy
Having become the world leader in ethanol production, Brazil turns to bio-diesel, with a policy that is intended to benefit small, family farms so as to keep them on their land, and benefit President Luiz da Silva in his reelection bid.
Al Gore Delivers Major Speech On Global Warming
In a major "policy speech" Al Gore proposes a strategy to combat global warming. He is also working on a new book to be published next year.
Cuba's Crumbling Infrastructure
Even as its economy improves, Cuba instructure is falling apart.
Report Shows UK Land Levy Ineffectual
A proposed land levy in the UK that is intended to raise funding for local governments has been shown in recent reports to fail to increase the amount of money trickling down to local municipalities.
Anti-Sprawl Law Revised To Encourage Sprawl
Revision to a Maryland state homebuying assistance program is catching some resistance from smart growth advocates as changed language seems to go against the original anti-sprawl intent.
Community Voices Heard in L.A.
Neighborhood Councils in Los Angeles have stopped the city's elected Council from using a misleading title for a ballot initiative facing voters in November. The volunteer groups are moving closer to providing a voice for the community at City Hall.
California Emission Law Has Its Day In Court
In U.S. District Court in Fresno on Sept. 15, a California deputy attorney general asked Judge Ishii to dismiss a suit by the auto industry that would void the state's new emission standards, applicable in 2009, that target carbon dioxide.
Bush U-Turn On Global Warming Rumored
Is the Bush administration planning a dramatic reversal of its policy on global warming?
Beijing To Ban Cars At 2008 Olympics
To reduce traffic congestion and pollution, officials in Beijing will prohibit the use of private cars at sporting events during the 2008 Olympic Summer Games.
How Bad Leadership Spoils Good Planning
In many ways, a successful urban planner is first and foremost a leader, yet far too many professionals lack the ability to lead, and ignore the importance of cultivating good leadership skills.
Filling The Freedom Tower
Both the Federal and State of New York governments have tentatively agreed to occupy 1 million of the Freedom Tower's 2.6 million square feet of office space. The question is, who will fill the rest?
California's $20 Billion Transportation Bond
Despite facing no organized opposition and proponents having spent over $5 million to date, support for the $20 billion transportation bond, which will finance new roads and public transit, stands only at 54 percent.
Should The Senate Bail-Out Amtrak?
This editorial from The New York Sun argues that a $1.6 billion bail out from the U.S. Senate is not the right way to fix the nation's perpetually struggling passenger rail system. International examples of success should be considered.
Housing Crisis Due To Government's Failure To Plan
Local government's preoccupation with regulating development and its failure to provide public infrastructure and maintain an attractive public realm is at the root of the current lack of affordable housing.
Carbon Sequestration In the North Sea
Norway's oil giant Statoil has been injecting carbon dioxide deep into the North Sea floor for 10 years as a carbon sequestration method intended to reduce its "carbon dioxide taxes" to the Norwegian government.
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
