Government / Politics

Another State (Ohio) Gets It Right
Washington and California have been praised for early efforts to mitigate community spread of the novel coronavirus, resulting in relatively low rates of infection, hospitalization, and ultimately, death. Add Ohio to the bunch.

Questioning Washington State's Commitment to Greenhouse Gas Reductions
Lawmakers in Washington state fell short of passing comprehensive legislation this year to meet long-term goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Distance Learning and University Challenges Under COVID-19
University of California Board of Regents Chair John A. Pérez shares the University of California's real-time response to the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting economic and pedagogical impacts for the system.

Safe At Home: Securing Affordable Housing in a Pandemic
An interview on the critical importance of securing quality affordable housing during the pandemic, coupled with the challenge of responding to the operational needs of ongoing development projects.

A New Ballot Measure Could Increase Caltrain's Funding by $108 Million Per Year
Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Francisco county voters could see a ballot measure to fund an ambitious Caltrain plan with a one-eighth cent sales tax, amounting to more than $100 million dollars per year.

Project For Public Spaces Launches Initiative to Improve Marketplaces Worldwide
Project for Public Spaces' Market Cities Initiative seeks to understand and addresses challenges faced by the public marketplaces to improve market infrastructure and promote healthy food systems in local communities.

Contrasting the Coronavirus Impact in the Bay Area to New York City
Early intervention, or population density? NPR reporters based in the Bay Area and New York City offer explanations as to why the two regions are seeing such a wide contrast in experiences during the coronavirus outbreak.

Causes of the Pre-COVID Decline in Bus Ridership
Even before the effects fo the coronavirus pandemic drastically reduced ridership, transit riders were declining in cities across the country. The reasons for the downward trend were varied.

How Coronavirus Could Worsen the Racial Wealth Gap in the United States
The impact of coronavirus on unemployment and healthcare is predicted to affect black and Latinos at a disproportionate rate, raising questions about what can be done to ease the suffering and close the racial wealth divide in America.

Learning from Seattle
The original epicenter of coronavirus outbreak was also the first region in the nation to implement social distancing measures, serving as a national model of behaviors that lessen the spread of the deadly virus.

Resiliency Frameworks and Disaster Responses Pre-COVID
Los Angeles resilience officer Aaron Gross and Hitachi's Beverly Rider provide a point-in-time glimpse at the evolving notion of resilience and how governments, businesses, neighborhoods, and people prepare for, respond to, and recover from disaster.

EPA Relaxes Environmental Rules, Cites Coronavirus
During the outbreak, the agency will allow companies to monitor themselves for pollution violations.

A Cheer (Or Maybe Even Two) For Redundancy
Is government too efficient to protect us from epidemics?

States Not Unified in Response to Coronavirus Pandemic
Public health experts were pleased that Trump extended his coronavirus guidelines, but they remain advisory, left to state and local governments to implement. Nine states have yet to issue stay-at-home orders, leaving the nation vulnerable to COVID.

How the Pandemic Is Stressing the Mortgage System
As the outbreak continues, the country’s housing finance system faces a number of serious threats and challenges.

Louisiana Municipalities Go Beyond 'Shelter in Place' with Curfews and Checkpoints
Four parishes and one town in Louisiana, which has the nation's highest COVID-19 per capita death rate, are implementing strict containment strategies that go well beyond the statewide stay at home order to reduce community spread.

Counties in Louisiana, Georgia Lead Nation in COVID Death Rate
All eyes are fixed on New York City, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak with its skyrocketing deaths, but the six counties with the highest number of coronavirus deaths per capita are in two Southern states as of April 1. Manhattan is #7.

High-Speed Rail Between California and Las Vegas Closer to Becoming a Reality
A $4.8-billion project to run high-speed rail from Southern California to Las Vegas is securing needed funding.

How Coronavirus Has Transformed Italy's Urban Spaces
Italy has been hit hard by the pandemic, and slowing the spread of the virus has meant dramatic changes in urban life.

Straight Talk from White House Public Health Experts on What to Expect
The public got to view the models that caused the president on Monday to extend the White House Coronavirus Guideline for 30 days. Dr. Deborah Birx, who led the presentation, emphasized that success will come down to behavior to reduce fatalities.
Pagination
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions