Congress

California House

Op-Ed: It's Time for a Weakened Mortgage Interest Deduction To Go

Last year's tax reform bill seriously curtailed the mortgage interest deduction, despite its reputation for untouchability. Perhaps lawmakers should get rid of it entirely.

May 4, 2018 - Slate

New York Subway

Omnibus Spending Bill Will Save Transit Grant Programs—for Five Months*

Congress passed a $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill to keep the government operating through September that also restores funding to transportation programs that the president had eliminated or greatly reduced. Trump signed the bill Friday.

May 8, 2017 - The Hill

Capitol Hill

U.S. Conference of Mayors Lobbies for Federal Infrastructure Funding

The devil is in the details, as they say. That will be especially true as Congress and the Trump Administration decide how to allocate infrastructure spending around the county.

March 7, 2017 - Route Fifty

National Monuments

Revoking a National Monument Not Easy, Even with Republican Congress

But that's no reason not to try, figures Republican Rep. Rob Bishop of Utah, chair of the powerful House Natural Resources Committee, who has his sights on the Bears Ears National Monument, barely a month old.

February 8, 2017 - NPR

Utah Public Lands

Federal Lands Transfer Bill Withdrawn

Facing backlash from hunting and angling groups, Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz withdrew legislation that would have transferred millions of acres of federal lands to state governments in the West. But news wasn't good for other environmental bills.

February 3, 2017 - The Washington Post

Energy and Environmental Regulations Under Attack—by Congress

Two environmental regulations enacted by the Obama Administration are expected to be rescinded under the Congressional Review Act: the Stream Protection Rule that protects water from mountaintop coal mining and limits on flaring methane emissions.

February 2, 2017 - NPR

Get Ready for a Wave of Federal Land Transfers in Western States

It's the antithesis of what former President Obama and his predecessors did when they gave federal lands and waters more protection. But don't blame Trump's executive actions for this one (not yet, anyway), as it's being proposed by Congress.

January 29, 2017 - The Guardian

Washington D.C. - The White House

The Trump Administration: Good for Transit?

The conventional progressive wisdom is that the Trump Administration will be bad for cities and for transit users. But in recent decades, a unified Republican government has been better for public transit than a divided government.

December 5, 2016 - Michael Lewyn

Trump Tower

Cities After President Trump

Urbanists consider what the administration of President-elect, Donald Trump, will mean for cities.

November 11, 2016 - CityLab

Flint

$170 Million for Flint Water Pipes a Step Closer to Congressional Funding

An amendment to the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) that would provide $170 million to replace contaminated water pipes is headed to the 11th hour of the Congressional session.

September 30, 2016 - Detroit Free Press

Planning Programs to Watch in the Federal Omnibus Spending Bill

Congress is on pace to wrap up a major piece of federal legislation before leaving for recess.

December 17, 2015 - APA Policy News

The Seat of Government

House Transportation Bill Misses Mark on Transit

Transit advocates have little good to say about the recently-passed Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act. While it doesn't cut transit funding, it does nothing to expedite transit-based solutions.

October 29, 2015 - Streetsblog Network

Capitol Hill

Dispatch from 'Planners' Day' on Capitol Hill

The American Planning Association took to Washington, D.C. recently to seek support for legislative actions that will enable the planning efforts of the next few years.

October 16, 2015 - APA Policy News

House Approves Cuts to Census and American Community Survey—Senate Up Next

The American Planning Association is keeping tabs on a bill making its way through Congress that would cut funding for the U.S. Census Bureau.

June 7, 2015 - APA Policy News

Mobilizing Against Threats to American Community Survey

Rep. Ted Poe (R – Texas) has introduced legislation that would gut the reach of the American Community Survey—one of the most useful sources of information for planning research.

May 28, 2015 - APA Policy News

Red and Blue States

Op-Ed: Where GOP Is Strong, Cities Receive Less

When it comes to federal appropriations, urban areas in states dominated by rural Republicans are at a distinct disadvantage. In search of lobbying power, metros in affected states are banding together.

April 11, 2015 - Governing Magazine

Chicago El

Congressional Bill to Expedite Transit Oriented Development

Cory Booker has introduced a railroad bill that will, among other things, expand financing for transit-oriented projects near train stations. The new law would also make it easier for TOD developers to apply for federal loans.

March 30, 2015 - Smart Growth America

Runners in D.C.

Washington, D.C.: A City Held Hostage

A neutral capital "district" may have sounded like a fine idea in the early 1800s. Today, Washington, D.C.—the burgeoning city, not the political fabrication—is crippled by the whims of Congress and a host of anti-urban policies.

February 6, 2015 - Next City

Meet the New Federal Leadership on Transportation

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.

January 6, 2015 - The Hill

House Approves Defense Bill; Compromises on Protections of Public Lands

As part of a compromise, the most ambitious public lands package in years was approved earlier this week by the House of Representatives as an addendum to a must-pass defense bill.

December 8, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

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The best of the Internet—since 2002.

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Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.