Government / Politics

Electric Car

New Jersey Might Be the Most EV-Friendly State in the Nation

Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation Friday establishing an incentive program for purchasing battery electric vehicles, allowing up to a $5,000 rebate, the nation's highest, plus $500 rebates for home-chargers. EVs are already exempt from sales tax.

January 22, 2020 - NJ Spotlight

Concord Naval Weapons Station

Future of Massive S.F. Bay Area Housing Project Uncertain Due to Labor Dispute

The $6 billion redevelopment project at the Concord Naval Weapons Station has stalled over labor issues.

January 22, 2020 - San Francisco Chronicle

Texas residential

Affordable Housing Challenges in Beltway Suburbs

More people are moving to suburban counties, but a lack of affordable housing in places such as Loudon County, Virginia, means the suburbs are not an option for a growing number of people.

January 22, 2020 - Greater Greater Washington

Body Scanners

EU Could Ban Facial Recognition Tech in Public

The European Union is preparing to take a strong position in the global debate surrounding privacy and data rights.

January 22, 2020 - Reuters

Houston Metro

Houston Just as Expensive as New York City, Study Says

The extra costs of automobile dependency turn assumptions about affordability on their head, according to a recently published report by the Citizens Budget Commission.

January 21, 2020 - Texas Monthly

Seattle Ferry

Washington Attempts to Adopt a Cleaner Cars and Clean Fuels Programs

A Pew Stateline article tackles the challenges of reducing carbon emissions from transportation compared to electricity generation and looks at recent initiatives announced by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee aimed at decarbonizing transportation.

January 21, 2020 - Pew Stateline

AirTrain Newark Airport

Cuomo's LaGuardia AirTrain Plan has a High-Profile Skeptic

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez expressed disappointment with a plan to build an AirTrain to LaGuardia Airport in a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration.

January 20, 2020 - Crain's New York Business

Brookline, Massachusetts

Positive Thinking for the Environment

There have been wins. And there will be opportunities. All is not lost for the future of the planet.

January 19, 2020 - Outside

Interbay Seattle

Report Explores Future of Seattle Interbay Armory Site

The 25-acre site will be vacant after the National Guard relocates, and a new report says a public development authority should manage the property.

January 17, 2020 - The Urbanist

Interstate 80

Wyoming Legislation Would Add Tolls to Interstate 80

A new bill would grant the Wyoming Transportation Commission the authority to impose tolls on all lanes of over 400 miles of I-80 to fund infrastructure needs on the roadway.

January 17, 2020 - CDLLife.com

Public Hearing

What Is Local Control?

State preemption and local control are two of the most controversial and contested concepts in land use. Understanding when and where one or the other takes precedence is key to understanding the politics and governance of planning.

January 16, 2020 - James Brasuell

UC Irvine Anteater Express

Can Hydrogen Make a Comeback?

While hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles are much less popular than their battery-powered siblings, California remains committed to the zero-emission technology, with three state agencies investing in and monitoring its progress.

January 16, 2020 - CALmatters

SamTrans

S.F. Bay Area Driver Shortage, Canceled Trips and Routes

Amid a nationwide bus driver shortage, transit agencies in the San Francisco Bay Area haven’t been able to fill vacant positions fast enough.

January 16, 2020 - East Bay Times

ng1_3717

New Jersey Has a Plan to Shift to Clean Energy, but Questions Remain

The state’s energy plan focuses on the move to renewable energy, but specifics about how that will happen and what the costs will be need to be pinned down.

January 16, 2020 - NJ Spotlight

Oregon State Capitol Building

What Is State Preemption?

State preemption and local control are two of the most controversial and contested concepts in land use. Understanding when and where each one takes precedence is key to understanding the politics and governance of planning.

January 14, 2020 - James Brasuell

Capitol Hill

States to Gain and Lose Congressional Districts After Census Identified

A reapportionment of House of Representatives will begin when the results of the Census 2020 have been finalized. A new analysis indicates that ten House seats will likely shift from the Northeast and Midwest to the West and South.

January 14, 2020 - Citiwire

Adams Morgan District

Short-Term D.C. Rentals Boosting Home Prices, Study Shows

In Washington, D.C., Airbnb has led to an increase in home prices, and the impact is more significant in neighborhoods with a higher density of short-term rental units.

January 14, 2020 - Urban Turf

Sidewalk Scaffolding

A Closer Look Under the Sidewalk Scaffolding of New York City

A common part of the urban landscape, scaffolds are mostly ignored or detested. But these in-between spaces can also take on a life of their own.

January 13, 2020 - The New York Times

Washington, D.C.

Trump Administration Proposal Would Eliminate Fair Housing Protections

The Trump administration last week published its latest attempt to undermine a fair housing rule adopted during the Obama administration.

January 13, 2020 - Curbed

Solar and Wind Energy

The Congressional Budget Cut Clean Energy Tax Breaks

The consequences of the Congressional budget approved at the end of 2019 can be measured in millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

January 12, 2020 - Inside Climate News

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.