Government / Politics

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Calls Workforce Housing Ordinance 'Communistic'

Fort Lauderdale's mayor condemned a proposed workforce housing ordinance as unfair to developers and 'communistic'. He said people mistakenly think they're entitled to an affordable single family house on a 40-hour work week.

May 22, 2006 - Sun-Sentinel

California's Official Pro-Sprawl City?

At the southern tip of California's San Joaquin Valley lies Bakersfield, a city of 312,000, expected to grow to 730,000 in three decades. It has just doubled its sphere of influence and shows little inclination to put restraints on growth.

May 22, 2006 - USA Today

New Mayor Looks To Heal A Battered City

Cory Booker, the newly elected mayor of Newark, New Jersey, has charged himself with turning around one of America's most dangerous cities.

May 22, 2006 - The New York Times

Do Economists Agree On Road Pricing?

A new academic journal article offers an interesting and highly detailed history of the concept of road pricing, and evaluates where economists have (and have not) reached consensus on the issue.

May 19, 2006 - Econ Journal Watch

Kunstler On Peak Oil And Politics

Urbanist James Howard Kunstler talks about peak oil, the railway system, new urbanism, and politics.

May 19, 2006 - AlterNet

New 100 MPG Prius Shown Off To House Subcommittee

A team of Northern California promoters of "plug-in hybrids" demonstrated their technology to a House science team. While receiving bi-partisan endorsement, success may be in the hands of the auto industry.

May 19, 2006 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Do Industrial Development Agencies Work?

Only a third of the projects supported by six Industrial Development Agencies (IDAs) around New York met their job creation goals, according to a report by the state comptroller's office. Is this another nail

May 18, 2006 - Office of the New York State Comptroller

Seven County Central Florida Region Initiates Long-Range Planning

With the seven-county Central Florida region projected to double its population by 2050, coordinated planning is critical. The think tank myregion.org will start a 15-month visioning process with a meeting May 17th.

May 18, 2006 - The Orlando Sentinel

California Misses Conservation Needs On Infrastructure Ballot Initiative

While praising California's long ethos of conservation, which separates it from most of the country, Sacramento Bee columnist Peter Schrag laments that conservation was not included in the $37 billion bond issue scheduled for the November ballot.

May 17, 2006 - The Sacramento Bee

Fast-Growing Florida County Approves Controversial Long-Range Plan

After months of discussion, St. Lucie County Commissioners approved a controversial amendment to their long-range plan. The "Towns, Villages and Countryside" plan limits growth to towns or villages instead of subdivisions, and mandates open space.

May 17, 2006 - TCPalm Local News

Al Gore's 'Slide Show' Clicks With Audiences

Al Gore's new documentary about global warming is expected to have an impact on public consciousness.

May 16, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

Miami's Most Ambitious Planning Project

With a focus on simplifying the development process and historic preservation, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, the lead consultant on the Miami 21 Project, unveiled the first quadrant of the City's most ambitious urban planning project to date.

May 16, 2006 - The Miami Herald

Is Bush's Plan To Sell National Forest Land Dead?

The Bush administration's plan to sell national forest land to raise money for rural schools and roads hits roadblocks.

May 15, 2006 - The Orlando Sentinel

California's Partisan Divide Flows From Land Use

California's changing political make-up can be traced to its growth patterns: the fastest growth in the Inland Empire and Central Valley has made those areas more Republican, while the slower growing coastal, urban centers remain Democratic.

May 15, 2006 - The Sacramento Bee

Bi-Partisan Gasoline Tax Cutting Spreads Throughout U.S.

Eager to provide relief to hurting motorists, state legislators and governors do what they can to roll back price increases, despite being told the reductions may not be seen at the pump.

May 13, 2006 - Associated Press

Riviera Beach Races State Law To Redevelop With Eminent Domain

The City Council of Riviera Beach, Florida, in an effort to outmaneuver the Florida Legislature, approved an agreement with a developer enabling a $2.4 billion waterfront redevelopment project that relies on eminent domain.

May 12, 2006 - Palm Beach Post

The Unveiling Of Miami 21

The City of Miami is set to change its antiquated zoning laws, hoping for a "grandly ambitious zoning overhaul".

May 12, 2006 - The Miami Herald

Politicians Seek To Please NY Motorists With Gas Tax Cut

Anxious to reduce gas prices, New York legislators agreed to reduce the gasoline tax by four to nine cents per gallon. Lost revenues could equal $450 million/year.

May 12, 2006 - The New York Times

Competing Strategies To Reduce Oil Consumption

Since 1975, environmentalists and their allies have fought to raise fuel efficiency standards in new vehicles. On Tuesday, another attempt was made. Meanwhile, an academic think tank testifies for an alternative approach, albeit an unpopular one.

May 11, 2006 - The San Francisco Chronicle

List Of World's 'Failed States' Released

A U.S. foreign policy magazine and think tank have released a ranking of 146 nations by their degree of failure. Sudan tops the list.

May 11, 2006 - BBC News

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.

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

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