Bill Scher believes that public investments in infrastructure will be a hallmark of the incoming administration, and suggests that it should be a point of political unity.
"A safe prediction: Compared with the Bush Administration, the Obama Administration is going to invest more public dollars in rebuilding and modernizing American infrastructure.
The new Institute for America's Future report, "The Investment Deficit in America: Yesterday's Achievements, Today's Problems, Tomorrow's Solutions," concludes the amount of investment needed to restore our infrastructure far outweighs what President-Elect Barack Obama proposed during the presidential campaign.
But there will be little serious debate over whether we need public investment. The need to maintain, upgrade and reform our infrastructure is a public need that historically knows no party."
FULL STORY: Build, Baby, Build: An Opportunity For Unity
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Mississippi Aims to Abolish Income Tax — and Replace it With Gas Tax
The new gas tax would fund MDOT and the Strategic Multi-Modal Investments Fund.
Louisville Launches ‘Anti-Displacement Tool’
After a years-long, tenant-led effort, Louisville will use a new tool to analyze whether a proposed housing development can meet a neighborhood’s housing needs and income levels. If it doesn’t, the city won’t subsidize it.
Detroit Transit Agency Requests $20M Budget Increase
The Detroit Department of Transportation wants to boost ridership by hiring more drivers, buying new buses, and enhancing station infrastructure.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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