Achieving sustainability can take one of two paths, according to Richard Carson: centralized or decentralized policy. Choosing one will be crucial.
"[I]t is no wonder that the concept of sustainability resonates with us. We would all love to live in a world with a sustainable economy, energy resources, and climate.
The real question, if you accept this premise, is how do we achieve this new sustainable world? I think that there are two very different paths to being sustainable. The dichotomy is that of socialist versus survivalist sustainability. In other words, do we nationalize and centralize sustainable policies or do we individualize and decentralize them? Do we regulate societal norms or do we incentivize them? These are mutually exclusive in the sense that the public policy approach is very different for each."
FULL STORY: INSIGHT: Sustainability -- The Great Divide
How the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Impacts Transportation
Five ways the bill negatively impacts U.S. transportation policy.
DC to Launch E-Bike Delivery Pilot
The District will fund low-cost e-bikes and provide charging and battery swap stations for delivery workers to encourage e-bikes as an alternative to driving for food deliveries.
Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”
The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.
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