Much has been made recently about how U.S. municipal and state governments aren't waiting for the federal government to act on climate change. Now it appears that these efforts can't succeed without Washington.
"Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels has led the fight by U.S. cities to do something about climate change (while the federal government twiddles its thumbs). And while there has been tangible progress made by many cities...U.S. mayors are realizing they don't have the money to make the kind of impact that is necessary to truly buckle the knees of rising greenhouse-gas emissions."
"This is one area in which Canada has taken a more enlightened approach. The new rapid-transit system being built from Vancouver International Airport into the heart of the city, for instance, is a billion-dollar enterprise being massively financed by Ottawa and the B.C. government."
"While many U.S. cities are riding the wave of momentum that exists around global warming, others have done little more than announce vague goals that aren't supported by any kind of realistic plan to achieve them. Staff at city halls across the United States are stretched thin at the best of times. Many cities are finding they just don't have the resources to dedicate solely to the climate-change challenge."
"Ultimately, it is going to take action by Washington to force real change."
FULL STORY: Mayors alone can't fix climate, Washington needs to finance public transit

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont