HUD announced this week the formation of a new Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, along with $100 million in grants for regional integrated planning initiatives.
Seattle Times columnist Joel Connelly says the announcement reflects "radical changes" in how federal urban policy is made.
HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan told Connelly: "We are trying to reassert federal leadership and support, but do it in a way that is not one-size fits all: We're trying to reassert a federal presence, but as partnership."
That partnership will be led by HUD Deputy Secretary Ron Sims, who the agency says "won national recognition for turning King County, Washington into a model for sustainable communities."
FULL STORY: As suburbs reach limit, people are moving back to the cities
Judge: HUD acted illegally in changing homelessness grant rules
A Rhode Island judge struck down 'partisan' Trump restrictions on Continuum of Care Build grants.
Judge Blocks HUD Changes to Key Homelessness Grant Program
The Continuum of Care Program, the federal government’s biggest pool of funds for housing homeless people, will continue with its original funding plan — pending a final decision from the courts.
HUD Investigating Boston for “Redlining Against White People”
The agency says the city is breaking the law by prioritizing people of color in its affordable housing strategy.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association