Next American City's Jeffrey Hill reads through the federal stimulus bill to find good news for cities.
"Take it from someone who has braved all 1,200-plus pages of HR-1: the economic stimulus package contains an abundance of funding figures that should make urban enthusiasts very happy."
"The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is set to provide:
$7.22 billion for projects and programs administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promote green jobs.
$6 billion to the Clean Water and Drinking Water Fund, $4 billion of which will be used help communities with water quality and waste-water infrastructure needs and $2 billion of which will be spent on drinking water infrastructure needs. $1.2 billion, or 20 percent, must be used for green infrastructure.
$100 million for competitive grants to evaluate and clean up former industrial and commercial brownfields. (Note- This portion of the bill was modified by an unnamed U.S. senator to put "brownfields" in quotes.)"
FULL STORY: What the Stimulus Bill Really Means for Cities
Recovery or Rerun?
A new government-sponsored watchdog website will allow citizens to track stimulus-funded projects. It's an effort to insure accountability. Neal Pierce wonders if that accountability will translate into smarter patterns of development.
Planetizen’s Top Planning Books of 2023
The world is changing, and planning with it.
How AI Envisions American Neighborhoods
How well does artificial intelligence ‘get’ U.S. cities?
How Would Project 2025 Affect America’s Transportation System?
Long story short, it would — and not in a good way.
But... Europe
European cities and nations tend to have less violent crime than the United States. Is government social welfare spending the magic bullet that explains this difference?
California Law Ends Road Widening Mandates
Housing developers will no longer be required to dedicate land to roadway widening, which could significantly reduce the cost of construction and support more housing units.
California Room to Roam Act Prioritizes Wildlife Connectivity
A new state law requires new development and infrastructure to minimize disruption to local wildlife habitats and migration patterns.
Oregon Releases Historic Preservation Plan for Next Decade
A plan from the state’s State Historic Preservation Commission outlines priorities for preserving Oregon’s cultural and historic resources.
Austin’s Vision for I-35 Cap Parks Takes Final Shape
The city’s plan includes parks, entertainment pavilions, commercial space, sports fields, and other facilities over 30 acres of deck parks spanning a sunken Interstate 35.
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.
Placer County
Mayors' Institute on City Design
City of Sunnyvale
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP), the Department of City and Regional Planning (CRP)
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
City of Portland, ME
Baton Rouge Area Foundation