Economic Stimulus

Freeway Construction

Trump to Suspend Environmental Regulation for Economic Emergency

Reports from the White House indicate that the Trump administration is planning to rollback federal environmental protections to expedite highway and other projects.

June 5, 2020 - The Washington Post

Washington D.C. Protest

Could Greenhouse Gas Emissions Be Added To COVID-19's Casualty List?

As the world rebounds from the first wave of coronavirus, and countries around the globe prepare to spend trillions of dollars for stimulus, should the funds be earmarked to flatten the climate curve?

June 3, 2020 - Robert Fischer

Dearborn Street Bike Lane

Criticism for Transportation Spending in House-Approved $3 Trillion Relief Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives approved the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act earlier this month. Transit advocates say the bill reinforces the car-centric status quo.

May 26, 2020 - Streetsblog USA

Coronavirus and Transportation

$23.8 Billion More in Federal Relief Requested for Public Transit Agencies

U.S. transit agencies are hemorrhaging money as the majority of riders avoid trains and buses. People still need public transit, and public transit needs help to weather the storm.

May 18, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Al Fresco Gelato

Berkeley Could Redefine the Al Fresco Streets Movement

The city of Berkeley is pursuing an aggressive plan to open the streets for outdoor dining as an economic development tool for local commercial businesses.

May 17, 2020 - Eater San Francisco

Rent Jubilee

Landlord, Tenant Tug-of-War for COVID-19 Relief in Los Angeles

Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) International Director Carl Muhlstein offers his outlook for what lies ahead in real estate and shares insight on the political tug-of-war between landlords and renters in the struggle for relief and protection.

May 13, 2020 - The Planning Report

Air Travel

For Coronavirus Aid, Air France Must Stop Competing With Rail

France is proposing a momentous step toward clean transportation.

May 6, 2020 - International Railway Journal

Coronavirus Economy

The New Normal for the Construction Industry

The changes coming to the construction industry to protect the safety and health of workers during the pandemic could stay in place for the foreseeable future.

May 3, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Seattle Light Rail Construction

30 Health and Safety Requirements Determine Which Construction Projects Can Restart in Washington

New construction projects are still on hold, but the state of Washington is allowing some projects to restart under strict health and safety guidelines.

April 29, 2020 - The Urbanist

Lithuania

Public Spaces Converted to Open-Air Cafes to Make Space for Social Distance

The Lithuanian capital city of Vilnius has taken an incredible step in reopening for business while requiring strict social distancing practices.

April 29, 2020 - The Guardian

Infrastructure Investment

How Local Projects Could Spur COVID-19 Economic Recovery

While some cities and states have prohibited all construction during the first few months of the pandemic, other locations are leaning on construction projects as a source of employment and improvements during tough times.

April 28, 2020 - Kayla Matthews

Highway Construction

Will Federal Stimulus Again Feature Infrastructure?

As recessions fears grow, discussions about increasing the level of federal spending on infrastructure projects also grow.

March 15, 2020 - Eno Center for Transportation

London

Global Housing Markets Slowing

According to a recent market report, an ease in rising housing prices could be ready to spread from Europe to the more of the world.

September 11, 2017 - Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Op-Ed: Reintroduce California's Historic Restoration Tax Credit

Despite a veto by Governor Jerry Brown, California’s Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins should keep trying to pass legislation to encourage preservation, says Bay area preservation architect Jerri Holan.

October 24, 2014 - UrbDeZine

Looking Back on the 5th Anniversary of the Federal Stimulus

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was signed into law on February 17, 2009, less than a month into President Obama's first term. The Council of Economic Advisers recently presented its final quarterly report on ARRA's impacts.

February 18, 2014 - WhiteHouse.gov

Infrastructure Investment Pushed by Obama at Jacksonville Port

President Obama used a tour of Jaxport to promote infrastructure investment, e.g. accommodating larger ships and intermodal cargo transfer to trains to stimulate the economy and increase employment, and maybe convert some Republicans to the cause.

July 27, 2013 - The New York Times - Politics

Can Urban Stimulus Spark China's Slowing Economy

A series of massive urban stimulus plans have been announced recently by several Chinese cities. Economists are split on whether the projects can speed up the country's growth rate and accommodate the influx of urban migrants, reports Chris Oliver.

August 24, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

The Use and Abuse of Multipliers

Planning magazine recently (December 2009) published a story on the benefits of economic impact studies for planners. Most professional planners have run across them at one point or another: they are used to evaluate economic impact and the effectives of various types of programs on job creation. Unfortunately, the article did little to also illuminate the pitfalls and weaknesses of these studies.

March 29, 2010 - Samuel Staley

Metros Miss Out on Stimulus Funding

Metropolitan region's make up a major part of the U.S. in terms of population and economic activity. Accordingly, the Brookings Institution was surprised to see how little of the government's first year stimulus package went to those areas.

February 21, 2010 - The New Republic

Infrastructure Spending Expected to Rise in Stimulus Year Two

About one-third of the federal government's $787 billion economic stimulus has actually been spent over the last year. During the next year, much of the focus of the remainder will be on infrastructure projects.

February 19, 2010 - The Wall Street Journal

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