Northeastern University students provide some of the first comprehensive study into a widespread problem with the neglect of federal grant money.

Betsy Gardner writes to share the results of her team from Northeastern University's fall 2016 capstone, which looked into the issue of unspent federal grant money.
Gardner reports that despite alarms raised by the Government Accountability Office and a few senators on Capitol Hill, the challenge of undisbursed federal grant money "has not been very thoroughly researched and is just beginning to receive more comprehensive attention." The capstone team sought to identify the root causes of the systematic neglect of federal grants. The team's recommendations are organized into categories of organizational capacity, auditing and oversight, and information technology. "Despite the varied classifications, each case study city experienced challenges in those three areas, which prevented them from using the federal funding they were awarded," explains Gardner.
Gardner presented the findings of the capstone project to a roundtable discussion called "Leaving Money on the Table: The Challenge of Unspent Federal Grants," a Washington, D.C. event co-hosted by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
FULL STORY: Guest Column: SPPUA student capstone at forefront of D.C. roundtable

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.