Government / Politics
Pandemic Update: Sea Change in Sweden
The European outlier of Sweden was embraced by American conservatives as an example of a government relying not on heavy-handed business and social restrictions but voluntary compliance by individuals to reduce viral spread. No longer.
City of Compton Introduces Two-Year Guaranteed Income Pilot
Proponents of universal basic income and general income programs say direct cash payments to low-income residents would reduce inequality and alleviate poverty.
Fifth Ward Residents Oppose Houston's Interstate Expansion
The downtown freeway expansion will displace thousands of housed and unhoused residents and hundreds of small businesses.
Transportation Equity Lessons from the Pandemic
Almost a year into the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Urban Institute assesses what we've learned about transportation equity—and what these lessons mean for the future.
Is the Era of Over-Parking Over?
Cities like Vancouver are rethinking parking minimums as they try to meet climate goals, reduce traffic, and reallocate street space to other modes.
Transportation Secretary's Resignation Announcement Greeted With Derision
Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao became the first cabinet secretary to announce her resignation due to the storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters, but at least one high-profile member of congress has derided the announcement.
Is Anti-Growth the Wrong Approach to Fighting Gentrification?
Limiting development has been a powerful tool for anti-gentrification activists, but have these policies had counter-productive effects?
Small Towns Provide Fertile Ground for Smart Urbanism
One Virginia town's complete streets transformation shows promise for active transportation interventions in small communities.
Sweden's 'One-Minute City' Reimagines the Street at a Hyper-Local Level
Rather than trying to meet all of a community's needs within a one-minute radius, Sweden's Street Moves pilot program gives residents the power to decide how street space gets used.
The Blue Beltway
Ronald Brownstein, a senior editor at The Atlantic, coins a new political-geographic term in the wake of the Georgia U.S. Senate runoff elections to describe a shift in the political alignment of nearly all large metropolitan areas in the nation.
Elaine Chao Resigns as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation
The fallout from this week's attack on the U.S. Capitol Building includes numerous resignations of top Trump administration officials, including Elaine Chao, secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Report Highlights the Need for Local Governance in Baltimore Transit
The unique structure of the Maryland Transit Administration leaves local stakeholders out of decision-making.
Los Angeles Mayor Blames COVID Outbreak on Density
Appearing on a Sunday news show, Mayor Eric Garcetti noted that the Los Angeles metropolitan region is the nation's densest and one of two primary reasons why "we're seeing a person every six seconds contract COVID-19 here in Los Angeles County."
From Dumps to Solar Farms, One Houston Neighborhood Is Planning its Own Future
After decades of fighting landfills and pollution in their community, residents of Sunnyside are working to build a more sustainable future.
What Biden's First 100 Days Will Look Like for Transportation
The new administration's policies are likely to promote clean energy and equity goals and focus resources on maintenance of existing infrastructure.
Ohio Approves New Tax Credit and Crowdfunding to Boost Downtown Development
Two pieces of legislation signed by Gov. DeWine promote investment in "legacy" cities.
California Hospitals Now Operating Under Contingency Care Guidelines
The three levels of care provided by hospitals: conventional, contingency, and crisis, were outlined in a letter sent to all hospitals. They must notify the state by Wednesday that they have adopted some version of crisis standards to ration care.
Cities Regulate Delivery App Fees to Support Ailing Restaurants
High platform fees for food delivery apps have put struggling restaurants between a rock and a hard place.
Buttigieg Promises to Undo Racist Freeway Policies
The U.S. Department of Transportation nominee acknowledged the impact the interstate highway system has had on communities of color and vowed to mitigate the damage.
The Census Missed its Dec. 31 Deadline
The pandemic didn't help, but this moment has been a long time coming, and the delay is bad news for President Trump efforts to exclude undocumented immigrants from the count.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
