Government / Politics
Two Weeks After Explosion, HUD Lays off Entire Building Inspection Staff
The move risks leaving subsidized housing with no oversight just weeks after a Bronx building partially collapsed.
Senate Passes Major Housing Bill During Shutdown
The ROAD to Housing Act is a broad-ranging plan aimed at streamlining housing production and increasing affordability.
San Francisco Bans Living in RVs, Offers Chatbot for Assistance
The city is testing an AI tool to support its understaffed outreach services department, but advocates worry it won’t be accessible to many vehicle dwellers.
Rural Texans are Forming a City to Fight a Noisy Crypto Facility
In the face of state inaction, residents of an unincorporated community want to take matters into their own hands to limit the noise from a bitcoin mining operation.
92% of DC Construction Groups Struggle to Hire Workers Amid ICE Raids
Contractors are being forced to delay project timelines as more workers stay home to avoid ICE dragnets.
Judge Blocks Trump Cuts to MTA Security Funding
A judge halted the Trump administration’s attempt to withhold transit security funds.
Feds Deny NYC ‘Every Dollar’ of Transit Security Funding Due to ‘Sanctuary’ Status
DHS denied the MTA its request for funding under the Transit Security Grant Program despite the administration’s concern with transit safety.
Bay Area's 'Most Recovered' Rail Line Expands North
Among the San Francisco Bay Area's 27 transit systems, one rail line stands out for recovered pre-pandemic ridership: the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District. Now it's headed 9 miles north to Healdsburg.
Oregon Transportation Bill Saves 500 ODOT Jobs, but Leaves Future Funding Uncertain
A bill passed in a special legislative session will raise over $4 billion for transportation and public transit in the next 10 years, but fails to establish a long-term funding solution.
Bay Area Transit Tax Measure Awaits Governor's Signature
A 5-county sales tax measure to head-off the 'fiscal cliffs' facing Bay Area transit agencies may appear on the November 2026 ballot in what would likely be Regional Measure 4. A signature-gathering effort could reduce the voter threshold to 50% + 1.
Delaware Governor Could Force Cities to Upzone
Gov. Meyer says the state will work with cities to encourage land use reforms that make room for more affordable housing types, but could take stricter measures if jurisdictions don’t comply.
HUD Whistleblowers: Agency is ‘Systematically Undermining’ Fair Housing Laws
HUD employees say the agency has decimated the Office of Fair Housing, reducing staff by 70 percent, and forced a gag order that prevents them from effectively enforcing fair housing and civil rights laws.
Trump's Executive Order Keeps Trains Running on Long Island
A strike by employees of the nation's busiest commuter rail line was averted, if only temporarily, after union leaders asked President Trump to intervene while they negotiate a pay hike. What did the president's love of golf have to do with it?
Portland to Issue Land Use Violation to ICE Detention Center
The city says the agency breached its agreement not to detain people overnight or for longer than 12 hours in a downtown Portland facility.
EVs Now Barred From Freeway HOV Lanes
Congress failed to renew a federal program allowing states to let electric car drivers use carpool lanes without additional passengers, forcing California to end EV access to its HOV lanes.
Opinion: Far From Cauldrons of Violence, Cities are Anti-Crime Innovators
Rather than funding the performative militarization of law enforcement, the federal government could instead support programs that prevent poverty and crime before it happens.
USDOT Pulls Funding from Projects not “Car-Focused” Enough in Connecticut, New Mexico, Illinois
The department is sending letters to local officials rescinding multimodal grants, saying the money will instead be focused on projects that “promote vehicular travel.”
Housing Groups Sue HUD Over “Unconstitutional and Unlawful” Grant Requirements
The lawsuit claims HUD cannot restrict funding based on political alignment that is out of the control of housing agencies.
Maryland Issues Executive Order to Create Affordable Housing on State-Owned Properties
Gov. Wes Moore’s order, which follows on the heels of an unsuccessful attempt to pass the housing reforms in the legislature, prioritizes transit-oriented development and streamlines permitting.
August Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month
In suburban Houston, cities are scrambling to expand water infrastructure to serve new communities. But can sprawl be part of a workable solution to the housing crisis?
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.
planning NEXT
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
