Government / Politics

View south along Interstate 45 (North Freeway) from the ramp between westbound Interstate 10 and southbound Interstate 45 in Houston, Harris County, Texas

TxDOT Faces Lawsuit from Harris County Over I-45 Plan

The lawsuit over the controversial I-45 project, which has been plagued by local opposition, calls for a new environmental review.

March 15, 2021 - Houston Chronicle

Jane Jacobs

Deconstructing Saint Jane

The iconic urban thinker has influenced generations of planners, but how do her ideas hold up in an age of massive upheaval and economic inequality?

March 14, 2021 - Urban Omnibus

Lakeview Gusher, Kern County, 1910

California's Kern County Weighs Proposal to Approve Thousands of New Oil Wells

The oil-rich county hopes to boost its economy with a revised plan for new drilling after a state court struck down a 2015 ordinance.

March 14, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

Brooklyn Queens Connector

Brooklyn-Queens Streetcar Will Live or Die in the Next Administration

Construction on the Brooklyn-Queens Streetcar, a potential legacy project for New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, was supposed to begin in 2019. The fate of the heavily debated project will rest with the next mayor.

March 12, 2021 - NY1 News

Levee

Louisiana's $50 Billion Coastal Restoration Plan Moves Forward

A $50 billion plan to replenish lost coastal land could have significant impacts on local marine life and fishing industries.

March 11, 2021 - The New York Times

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Industry Wins a Round Over Building Efficiency Requirements

New regulations prohibit cities from enacting stricter efficiency standards in new buildings.

March 11, 2021 - Huffington Post

Wind farm and greenhouse gas farm, together

Can Emissions Reductions Last Beyond the Pandemic?

The dramatic reductions in carbon emissions during the last year only highlight how drastically humans must change behavior to meet climate goals.

March 10, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

Coronavirus

Return to Normal: CDC Releases Initial Post-Vaccination Guidance

Millions of fully vaccinated Americans who have been anxiously awaiting new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on what they can now do safely were given initial recommendations that apply only to private settings.

March 10, 2021 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Harvard

Bloomberg Funds New 'Center for Cities' at Harvard

The $150-million endowment will expand the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative and develop capacity-building programs for mayors and city leaders.

March 10, 2021 - Forbes

Mt. Hood and Traffic

Carbon Emissions Back on the Rise—Along With Cleaner Energy

Climate-friendly government policies and recent investments by energy companies are accelerating the growth of renewables.

March 9, 2021 - Bloomberg

Santa Monica Bay

Santa Monica Institutes 'Zero-Emissions Delivery Zone'

A new pilot program in Santa Monica aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide a testing ground for new technologies.

March 9, 2021 - Smart Cities Dive

Asperatus

The Benefits of a Federal Climate Planning Unit

A proposed Climate Planning Unit could help the federal government guide comprehensive climate policy and manage project costs.

March 9, 2021 - Brookings Institution

Seine

The Pitfalls of the 15-Minute City

The concept, touted as "hyper-local," can fail to take into account local conditions and historical inequities in American cities.

March 8, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Coronavirus Protest

Pandemic Watch: We've Been Here Before (but at Lower Case Levels)

The White House COVID-19 Response Team explains why governors are wrong to lift mask mandates and ease restrictions by putting the current level of coronavirus infections in the country in perspective, i.e., comparing it to the two prior surges.

March 8, 2021 - The White House

Grizzly Point Berkeley

Upzoning Catches on in California

Eliminating single-family zoning and other exclusionary ordinances could have major impacts on housing in some of the country's most unaffordable cities.

March 8, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Elaine Chao

Report Finds Conflicts of Interest in Elaine Chao's Time as Transportation Secretary

The U.S. Department of Justice in the final weeks of the Trump administration rejected an attempt to broaden the investigation into former Secretary Elaine Chao's potential ethics violations.

March 8, 2021 - The New York Times

Polar Vortex

Texas Grid Operator to Be Investigated by Congressional Subcommittee

Texas' costliest natural disaster will be the subject of a congressional investigation by a House Oversight subcommittee thanks to Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who is concerned about ERCOT's lack of preparation for extreme winter weather.

March 7, 2021 - The Texas Tribune

Border Wall

The Failures of the U.S.-Mexico Border Wall

Trump's promised "impenetrable" wall has proven to be anything but.

March 7, 2021 - High Country News

Newark

Newark Launches Land Bank to Revive Long-Vacant Properties

The land bank will assess proposals for the sale and redevelopment of 100 city-owned properties in neglected neighborhoods.

March 7, 2021 - Next City

School Drop Off

Opinion: Stop Paving Seattle Playgrounds for Parking Lots

Seattle schools are often forced to reduce their playground space in favor of parking and circulation for private cars, but altering the city code could change that.

March 5, 2021 - The Urbanist

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.

Comprehensive Bikeway Design Workshop

Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University

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Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)

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.