Some call restrictions at state and county borders necessary to protect the public health of communities. Others call them unconstitutional.
"When the number of coronavirus cases began to skyrocket, several states, including Rhode Island, Florida and Texas, took the unprecedented step of setting up border checkpoints to stop nonresidents who might be carrying the virus," according to an article by Luz Lazo and Katherine Shaver.
"In Florida and Texas, state troopers are requiring motorists from out of state and their passengers to sign forms promising to self-quarantine for 14 days. Florida, Rhode Island and Texas also require travelers to provide an address where they plan to shelter — and advise them to be prepared for a follow-up call or unannounced visit from public health officials," according to the article.
In addition border control policies at state borders, local and regional governments have implemented similar controls all over the country, drawing scrutiny from legal experts, creating controversy, and provoking at least one lawsuit from angry vacation property owners. "Six residents from Maryland, Virginia and South Carolina who say they weren’t allowed to use their second homes in the Outer Banks [Dare County, North Carolina] filed a lawsuit against the county last week alleging that the closed border is unconstitutional because it discriminates against out-of-state citizens," report Lazo and Shaver.
FULL STORY: Covid-19 checkpoints targeting out-of-state residents draw complaints and legal scrutiny
Religion in the Pandemic: First Amendment vs. Public Health and Safety
Conflicts between church and state are being decided in state and federal courts as governors act to protect their constituents from the coronavirus while religious institutions and their supporters seek exceptions from social gathering restrictions.
Friday Eye Candy: Covid-19, Then and Now
The New York Times compared images from readers portraying similar scenes in 2020 and 2022.
The Shifting Demographics of Covid-19
For most of the Covid-19 pandemic, Black Americans died at much higher rates than White Americans. That trend has reversed at times during the past year.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association