While many of his supporters have criticized President Obama for not acting far or fast enough on their respective causes, Daniel J. Weiss argues that the President's environmental achievements in his first year were significant.
Weiss names 10 areas in which the Obama administration has shown itself to be dramatically different from its predecessor.
"President Obama announced an agreement with California, the auto companies, and the United Auto Workers to establish the first-ever greenhouse gas limits for motor vehicles; Under President Obama, [the] EPA followed the science and the law by making the [GHG] endangerment finding; The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or ARRA, which became law on February 17, 2009, includes $70 billion for clean-energy investments; Power plants [will] have to meet plant specific mercury reductions; Senators John Kerry (D-MA), Lindsay Graham (R-SC), and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) are developing comprehensive compromise energy and global warming legislation that would reduce greenhouse gas pollution by 17 percent; In 2008 CAP recommended that President Obama support and Congress pass a nationwide renewable electricity standard of 25 percent by 2025."
Weiss concludes by suggesting a number of ways in which the President can build on these successes in the coming year by increasing investments into renewable energy and infrastructure.
FULL STORY: A Breath of Fresh Air
It's Not Just HUD
Though the HUD choice seems an odd, unqualified one, we should be looking beyond HUD however: Here's why Mnuchin at Treasury is even more worrisome.
California Law Doesn't Stop Sprawl
A draft report from San Diego reveals that California's SB 375 law, which passed in 2008, was ineffective in reducing sprawl in the long term, Ethan Elkind writes for the UCLA UC Berkeley Legal Planet blog.
Why Can't Government Get You Out of Your Car?
No matter what alternatives it can think of, the Obama Administration remains baffled why most Americans are still attached to their cars, says Fred Barnes.
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.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Connecticut Assembly to Reconsider TOD Bill
The ‘Work, Live, Ride’ bill would prioritize funding for designated transit-oriented zones to encourage denser development near transit.
New Jersey Affordable Housing Law Turns 50
The Mount Laurel Doctrine tasks each city and town with creating enough affordable housing to meet their needs, but half a century after its passage, the law still faces opposition in some parts of the state.
NYC Outdoor Dining Won’t Include Booze — For Now
Hundreds of restaurants will be unable to serve alcohol in their outdoor dining areas this summer due to a delay in permitting.
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.
Florida Atlantic University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Piedmont, CA
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland