Tax Credits

Electric vehicle

GM's Electric Vehicle Future Arrives Early in Detroit-Hamtramck

GM's first non-internal combustion engine vehicle assembly plant will be in the form of 35-year-old plant straddling the Detroit-Hamtramck border thanks in part to a $2.27 billion state tax credit. Electric pickups, SUVs, and AVs will be produced.

January 30, 2020 - Detroit Free Press

U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA)

How the Next President Might Take on the Housing Crisis

Senators Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and Elizabeth Warren have all announced housing plans.

March 8, 2019 - The Mercury News

St. Louis

Prominent St. Louis Developer Accused of Fraud

The local developer is accused of inflating property values and defrauding a program meant to spur investment in distressed areas.

June 1, 2018 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Urban Agriculture

Tax Credits to Encourage Urban Agriculture

Montgomery County, Maryland is the latest municipality to approve an agricultural tax credit to to create incentives for agricultural uses in urban areas.

March 10, 2017 - Source of the Spring

Explaining the Ups and Downs of U.S. Wind Power

A Vox post explains the fickle trends of wind power production in the United States.

December 27, 2014 - Vox

Nevada's $1.2 Billion Investment in Tesla Predicted to Have $100 Billion Impact

The generous incentives granted the electric car company for securing the $5 billion factory will yield disproportionate economic benefits, according to Gov. Brian Sandoval, for a state suffering high unemployment and a lack of economic diversity.

September 7, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

Empty Parking Lot

Rethinking the Value of Parking Lots

To create more active and economically healthy downtowns, cities are seeking development on parking lots.

April 12, 2014 - Newsweek

Using Brownfields to Heal Contaminated Communities

Ronda Kaysen reports on the growing trend in transforming brownfield sites in disadvantaged communities into health centers, "in essence taking a potential source of health problems for a community and turning it into a place for health care."

December 13, 2012 - The New York Times

Should Wind and Solar Stand on Their Own?

The Wall Street Journal invites Mark Muro, with the Brookings Institution, and David Kreutzer, with the Heritage Foundation, to debate the merits of government subsidies for the development of wind and solar power in the United States.

October 10, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

Clean Energy is Victim of Payroll Tax Agreement

Apparently the payroll tax agreement reached on Friday in congress did not extend all tax provisions being considered. The deal allowed a number of tax breaks, including those for wind and solar energy producers, to expire, reports Brad Plumer.

February 20, 2012 - The Washington Post

Preserving Land For Future Generations

An easement often grants a third party, mainly a utility company, limited rights to properties not belonging to them. In North Fork, Colorado, conservation easements do the opposite by preserving the "heaven here on earth," says Kathy Browning.

October 6, 2011 - Delta County Independent

Historic Preservation Jobs Are Local

With Missouri's Historic Preservation Tax Credit on the chopping block, Citiography outlines seven reasons the state should keep this program. Creating local jobs is just one.

September 8, 2011 - Citiography

Transit-Oriented Tax Credits Nudge Company to Relocate

By relocating to a transit-adjacent building in New Jersey, electronics maker Panasonic has qualified for more than $100 million in tax credits from the state.

June 1, 2011 - Marketplace

Harvard Report: Gas Taxes Not Vehicle Credits Necessary To Reduce Emissions

$7 gas is necessary according to a new report if transportation emissions are to be reduced to EPA targets by 2020. What's more, providing tax credits for electric and hybrid vehicles would backfire. The report recommends steep gas tax increases.

March 8, 2010 - The New York Times - Science

How Long is the Waiting List for Rental Assistance?

For low-income people in the Mankato, Minnesota area, there might be no hope for assistance from government vouchers.

June 10, 2009 - The Free Press

Homebuilders Pin Hopes On State Tax Subsidy

California is now offering buyers of new housing units a $10,000 tax credit. The tax break was pushed hard by homebuilders, who say the measure should boost housing starts.

March 9, 2009 - California Planning & Development Report

NYT Pushes Hybrid Credits and Auto Scrapping

This editorial suggests three strategies to make the American auto fleet more efficient: renewing the hybrid tax credit program (many credits have been exhausted), pursuing a "cash for clunkers program", and increasing the gas tax to supplement CAFE.

January 22, 2009 - The New York Times

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.

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.