New leadership on transportation issues steps to center stage as the result of Republicans taking control of both houses of Congress for the first time since 2006.
Keith Lang provides "a list of new players to watch as lawmakers get the ball rolling on the 114th Congress, which is expected to include debates about highway, aviation and rail funding."
Included on the list areSen. John Thune (R-S.D.), who recently attracted attention for discussing the possibility of raising the federal gas tax; Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), the "new top ranking Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee"; and new National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator Mark Rosekind.
Read the full story: Five new transportation players to watch in 2015
Farm Bill Compromise Reached After SNAP Controversies Resolved
After a political stalemate, lawmakers now say they have a farm bill that will pass both the House and Senate.
Brookings: A Demographic Post-Mortem of the Midterms
Young adults, according to a deep dive analysis by Brookings Metro demographer William Frey, were a key demographic group responsible for stopping the red wave that most polling predicted as the likely outcome of last month's midterm elections.
Peter De Fazio, Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, to Retire
The end of an era for Oregon in Congress.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
California city breaks ground on transit connector
The project includes three mobility hubs and a pedestrian bridge.
After public outcry, Massachusetts city releases housing development tracker
Cambridge’s tracker currently shows 250 housing projects in various stages of development.
40 years after approval, Chicago breaks ground on new park
The park honors Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, the city’s first permanent non-native settler.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority