Georgetown, located north of Austin and home to 54,000 Texans, will soon be a part of the future, by running completely on renewable energy.

"Georgetown says it plans to be the first city in Texas entirely powered by renewable energy," reports James Osborne.
"The city’s electrical utility is planning to announce Wednesday that it is signing a deal with solar developer SunEdison for 150 megawatts of solar power beginning in 2016," adds Osborne. That new capacity will be added the power delivered by a wind energy deal from 2014.
For the record, and in a potential sign of more deals like this to come in the future, Osborne reports that Georgetown officials made the decision for business reasons rather than environmental reasons. The deal with SunEdison is actually cheaper than their previous arrangement.
The article notes that according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's website, 12 municipalities have set a target of 100 percent renewables. Burlington, Vermont claims to have already reached its goal of 100 percent renewables, but there is some debate about whether its energy sources can be considered renewable.
FULL STORY: Georgetown to go 100% renewable energy, first in state, city says

The End of Single-Family Zoning in Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is the latest jurisdiction in the country to effectively end single-family zoning.

‘Train Daddy’ Andy Byford to Oversee Amtrak’s High-Speed Rail Efforts
Byford, who formerly ran NYC Transit and Transport for London, could bring renewed vigor to the agency’s plans to expand regional rail in the United States.

Seattle Bus Lane Cameras Capture Over 100,000 Violations
An automated traffic enforcement pilot program caught drivers illegally using transit lanes more than 110,000 times in less than a year.

Immigration Grows, Population Drops in Many U.S. Counties
International immigration to the country’s most populous areas tripled even as major metropolitan areas continued to lose population.

$616 Million in Development Incentives Approved for District Detroit
The “Transformational Brownfield” incentives approved by the Detroit City Council for the $1.5 billion District Detroit still require approval by the state.

Affordable Housing Development Rejected for Lack of Third Staircase in Connecticut
The New Canaan Planning Commission rejected a development proposal, including 31 below-market-rate apartments, for lack of a third staircase, among other reasons, at a time when advocates are pushing to relax two-staircase requirements.
Houston-Galveston Area Council
City of Malibu
Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
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.