Apropos to the debates dominating the G20 conference in London, former U.S. Trade Rep and Commerce Secretary Mickey Kantor argues for trade as the centerpiece of economic and environmental sustainability.
The article features excerpts from a speech made by Kantor at a recent event in Los Angeles, followed by a short interview.
"At the same time, there was great cynicism 15 years ago when we started those discussions about putting environmental consideration in trade agreements. There was not just skepticism; there was cynicism. It was not thought to be part of trade. Trade is subject to tariffs and subsidies-protecting intellectual property and protecting investments. We have information technology agreements, a telecom agreement, and financial services agreement-everything but protecting the environment and labor..."
"We need a new Kyoto. We need it desperately. We need it to have teeth. The World Trade Organization, which many of you look at with some skepticism, has the only mechanism in any international agreement in the world that works. We should have tied Kyoto to the WTO so anyone who violates the obligations and responsibilities under Kyoto would face trade sanctions under the WTO. That would work. Nothing gets the attention of any nation more than when you start to say, 'you can't ship your goods or services into another nation because you violated your obligations and responsibilities.'"
"...what worries me about California is what worries everyone. The infrastructure needs updating; the educational system is a real challenge. We've done well with energy use per capita in California but we need to do better."
FULL STORY: Former Commerce Secretary Kantor: Trade Critical to Global Warming, Economic Recovery

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.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie