Government / Politics

Biden administration

Biden-Harris Transition Covid Task Force Announced

President-elect Biden made clear during the campaign that he will "follow the science" in tackling the number one priority of his administration—gaining control of the coronavirus. The 13-member task force with three co-chairs was announced Monday.

November 11, 2020 - The New York Times

Conference Hall

Uncertain Times for Trade Shows and Conferences

Expecting a dark winter, conferences are being canceled worldwide, putting millions of jobs at risk.

November 10, 2020 - Cities of the Future

Election 2020

What Biden's Win Could Mean for Land Use, Transportation, and Climate

Campaign in poetry and govern in prose, the saying goes. Now that the reality of a Biden presidency is settling in, what does it mean for how the United States plans its future?

November 10, 2020 - James Brasuell

Lime Scooters

E-Scooters Are Coming to New York City

Major micromobility comapnies and lesser known competitors are stating their interest to take part in a New York City e-scooter pilot program slated for Spring 2021.

November 10, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Wyoming

Cash-Strapped Wyoming Towns Face Existential Threat

With the decline of the fossil fuel industry and the economic effects of COVID-19 further gutting the state, Wyoming and some of its small cities are facing dire fiscal consequences.

November 9, 2020 - Casper Star-Tribune

COVID-19 protests

Election Post-Mortem: Politics Trumps Public Health

An analysis by the Associated Press found that voters in counties that are disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus were far more likely to support President Trump's reelection than voters in less-impacted counties.

November 9, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Vote

Progressives Tally Major Victories at the Local Level as the Blue Wave Came Up Short

Progressive agendas on transportation and housing won big in the November 2020, even if a "Blue Wave" failed to materialize on the national level.

November 9, 2020 - Bloomberg CityLab

D.C. Metro

Republicans, Democrats, and Transit

Depending on how the issue is phrased, support for public transit can be bipartisan.

November 9, 2020 - Michael Lewyn

Queen Elizabeth

England Begins Second Lockdown to Protect the National Health Service

The day after Election Day in America, the U.K. Parliament voted overwhelmingly to impose a 4-week lockdown in England to ensure that nation's prized healthcare system doesn't collapse due to treating mounting coronavirus infections.

November 8, 2020 - The Independent

U.S. EPA

U.S. Officially Withdraws From the Paris Climate Accord

An even set in motion years ago by the Trump administration came to fruition on November 4 while most Americans were paying attention to the election.

November 5, 2020 - The Washington Post

Congresswoman

Housing Advocates Gain More Allies on Capitol Hill, by Way of New York City

A growing number of congressional representatives serving the city of New York support aggressive public investment in housing programs.

November 5, 2020 - Curbed

Stars and Stripes

2020 Election Results for Transportation and Land Use

Thinking beyond the presidency: Here's an Election Day 2020 roundup of election issues related to planning, urban design, and the built and natural environments.

November 4, 2020 - James Brasuell

Mass Shootings

Corona Crisis in America: The Metropolitan Area to Watch

The battle to control the coronavirus in the U.S is being led by 50 governors and the D.C. mayor, but ultimately it is at the local level where decisions are often the most consequential. Among large counties, the crisis is most severe in El Paso.

November 3, 2020 - The Texas Tribune

Lafayette Square

Two Presidential Candidates, Two Approaches to Housing Policy

The Biden and Trump campaigns are from different worlds on housing policy, according to this analysis.

November 3, 2020 - CityLimits

Maroon Creek, Aspen, Colorado

The Environment Hangs in the Balance on Election Day

Both the presidential election and numerous state and local ballot measures will determine the future of environmental policy in the United States.

November 3, 2020 - High Country News

King County Metro Transit

Transit Spending on the Ballot in Seattle and Washington

Voters in the city of Seattle will consider a sales tax to fund bus transit service, while voters around the state of Washington will have a chance to send new leaders to Congress.

November 2, 2020 - The Seattle Times

facades of victorian style residences in San Francisco

How California Plans to Slow the Corporate Takeover of the Residential Market

The state of California is trying to prevent a repeat of one of the most significant consequences of the Great Recession: large Wall Street interests buying for-sale housing in bulk for conversion to apartments.

November 2, 2020 - Next City

Cresskill, New Jerset

The CARES Act Was Supposed to Protect NJ Tenants from Eviction. It Didn’t.

State activists say eviction cases were filed in violation of the CARES Act’s ban on evictions. Pre-trial settlement conferences are further complicating the situation.

November 2, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

Drive-Through Coronavirus Testing

'We are Entering the Steep Slope of the Epidemic Curve'

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, President Trump's former Food and Drug Administration commissioner, warned CBS viewers recently that the U.S. was at a "dangerous tipping point" in the pandemic. "We are on the cusp of exponential growth," he added later.

November 1, 2020 - CBS News

Society Hill Historic Buildings

Downzoning for Society Hill Back on After the Philadelphia City Council Overrides Mayoral Veto

One of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Philadelphia is increasing parking requirements and limiting building heights at all costs.

October 26, 2020 - WHYY

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.