Soft-spoken mathematician and wind energy advocate Jerry McNerney defeated Rep. Richard W. Pombo, an opponent of the Endangered Species act.
"The elite of their party dismissed them as clutter. They were outspent by their opponents by as much as 10 to 1, their campaigns engineered not by slick Washington consultants, but friends and neighbors.
Up on Capitol Hill, they've taken to calling [Jerry] McNerney the dragon slayer for taking down Rep. Richard W. Pombo of Tracy, the powerful chairman of the House Resources Committee who had won handily seven times in his Republican-leaning Northern California district...[Pembo's] affiliation with convicted Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff and attempts to dismantle the Endangered Species Act, [got him] labeled "Eco-thug" and "Wildlife Enemy No. 1 ."
Read the full story: Unlikely new lawmaker rode winds of change
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
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
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority