Government / Politics
Aspen's Booming Market For Planning Consultants
An industry of planning consultants, many of them former Aspen city planners, has set up shop to help builders navigate through the city's complex development review process.
New Urbanism Takes Hold In West Florida
Cities and counties in and around the Tampa Bay area are incorporating elements of New Urbanism into their planning and land use codes.
Battle Over Housing In New York's Wealthiest Zip Code
Largely low-rise and industrial, Manhattan's once gritty but now chic TriBeCa neighborhood is facing pressure from developers who are hoping to profit from its desirability by building new high-rise apartments.
A Shifting Planning Paradigm In Hong Kong
No longer content with the planning status quo, the city's residents are demanding that government plans abandon their outdated "city in the sky" vision and focus on quality of life issues in the territory.
Arts-Based Planning For Downtown
A New Jersey township that has been a leader in downtown planning is planning to integrate arts-based development into its successful downtown mix.
Cities To Swap Cash For Meeting Housing Requirements
A Bay Area county will be the first in the region to take advantage of a new state law that allows cities to swap meeting state-mandated, affordable housing requirements for cash donations to cities which build affordable housing within same county.
Idaho Says "No" To Coal-Fired Power Plants
Idaho Rep. Gov. Risch reversed his predecessor's position on allowing new coal plants to be built in Idaho by opting out of a federal mercury emissions trading program. By doing so, the state has shown bi-partisan opposition to coal power plants.
Idaho Proposition Threatens Land Use Law
Planners are spooked by a Measure 37 look-a-like bill that spills over into Idaho.
A Battle For Open Space In Maryland
50 acres of woodland are up for sale in Maryland, and while a developer has scoped the land as a good site for 25 homes, local residents are pressuring local and state officials to employ a little-used open space funding program to buy up the land.
Measuring Quality Of Life In The Treasure Valley Region
A report by Institute for Urban & Regional Planning at Boise State University looks at competitiveness and quality of life of the Treasure Valley.
Philadelphia's Skyscraper Boom
The recent building spree of high rises in Philadelphia requires more oversight from planners if it is to truly benefit the city, argues one critic.
Reason's Annual Privatization Report, 2006
Reason's Annual Privatization Report chronicles and analyzes the most important developments in privatization, outsourcing, and government reform.
Small Urban Farms Show Success In Cuba
Small organic farms are scattered throughout Cuba that have been providing food for the country ever since the fall of the Soviet empire 20 years ago. The collaboration between the government and local farmers has benefited the whole country.
FEMA Awards Housing Contracts For Katrina Work
Based on quality of plans and competitiveness of bidding, billions of dollars in housing contracts were awarded to six companies, some with immediate political ties to the current administration.
Property Tax Increases Outstrip Personal Income Growth
Nationwide, the rise of personal property tax bills has nearly doubled as compared to the level of personal income in the years 2000-2004.
The City of Brotherly Love...And Gambling
Philadelphia is set to become the largest city in the nation with casinos, but boosters worry that the gaming venues won't fit with the city's recent revitalization.
Giving Teens A Say In Community Plans
Teenagers in Providence, Rhode Island, are getting a taste of classic planning issues.
Inclusionary Housing Doesn't Work
An economist with the National Association of Home Builders argues that government mandated inclusionary housing has good goals but negative consequences.
Why High Gas Prices Haven't Affected Driving Behavior
As gasoline prices settle at $3/gallon, oil consumption continues to climb.
California Fuel Tax Proposal Called Into Question
The proposed measure, which would raise taxes on petrol to fund conservation and alternative energy efforts, is under fire due to benefits it would provide one of its major backers.
Pagination
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