Ohio

Update: Coronavirus Vaccination Litigation against Biden Administration
The U.S. Justice Department filed its appeal on Nov. 23 before the 6th Circuit Court to reinstate the large private employer vaccination status requirement that the 5th Circuit had stayed after Republican governors and state attorneys general sued.

Transit Funding Sales Tax Approved by Toledo-Area Voters
Toledo is one of the last corners of Ohio to approve a transit funding sales tax. In effect, voters committed to raise about twice as much as existing property levies currently generate for the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority.

Cincinnati Ends Political Contributions by Developers in Response to Corruption Spree
Corruption is a common companion to the development approvals process—Cincinnati is no exception. But Cincinnati is attempting a new approach to conflicts of interest.

Lessons from the Smart Columbus Pilot Program
The former program manager for Smart Columbus discusses the successes, challenges, and unexpected opportunities encountered by the city as it worked to integrate technology into city services and programs.

Sales Tax Could Fully Fund Cincinnati Viaduct
One of Southwest Ohio's most urgent infrastructure projects would move forward if the SORTA board approves a recent proposal to allocate Issue 7 funding to the replacement plan for the Western Hills Viaduct.

The Most Unsafe Road in Ohio: A Five-Mile Stretch of Interstate in Columbus
Traffic safety analysis inspires debate about the culprit (drivers or engineers?) on the least safe stretch of road in the Buckeye State.

Cleveland Announces Transit-Oriented Riverfront Development
The proposed development would include 130 acres of housing, retail, and entertainment spaces.

Black Residents Leaving Cincinnati's Fast Growing Urban Area
The housing market in the neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine is a 'segregation machine.'

Landlords Filing Evictions to Speed Rent Relief Funds
Because many rent relief programs prioritize tenants actively facing eviction, some Ohio landlords are using eviction to speed up the process.

Cincinnati Tenants Can Still Access Rental Assistance Funds
Organizations in the city are working to distribute remaining rental assistance to tenants and landlords.

Defining the 'Community' in Community Land Trusts
As community land trusts take root and expand, they face numerous questions on how to stay communally-focused while their geographic scope grows.

Five Years Later, 'Smart Cities Challenge' Promise Unfulfilled
The "Smart Cities Challenge" paid Columbus, Ohio $50 million to kick start a revolution of urban technology. The revolution never arrived, according to a recent assessment by Wired writer Aarian Marshall.

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back for Cleveland Cycle Track Plans
Advocates are thrilled that the city of Cleveland is seeking federal funding for a pair of ambitious cycle track plans—but one of the plans has been significantly watered down.

$75 Billion 'Connect US' Plan Would Expand Amtrak Service All Over the Country
New attention for a plan to greatly expand Amtrak service in dozens of cities and regions around the United States.

Coronavirus Legislation: Vaccine Choice or Anti-Vax?
If vaccines provide the means out of the pandemic, vaccine hesitancy and opposition threaten to prolong it. Battles over public health are being fought in courtrooms and statehouses like in Ohio, where a 'vaccine choice' bill is being considered.

Choice Neighborhood Planning Grants Announced for 5 U.S. Cities
A federal grant program designed to support holistic and socially-focused planning projects at the neighborhood level has announced the winners of its most recent round of competitive grant funding.

New $103 Million Greenway a Park, Stormwater Solution in Cincinnati
The newly opened, $103 million Lick Run Greenway started as a court ordered stormwater solution. Local leaders hope it will be that and much more.

Building on Recent Planning Success in Akron
Following the success of Planning to Grow Akron, spurring the development of thousands of housing units in the previously stagnant city, Planning to Grow Akron 2.0 will leverage federal stimulus funds to further stabilize the city's housing market.

Two Demographic Firsts, Both Losses, for California
The nation's most populous state learned from the Census Bureau last month that it would lose a congressional district for the first time in its history. On Friday, it revealed that 2020 was the first year since 1850 to experience a population loss.

Voters Reject Cincinnati's Affordable Housing Ballot Issue
A charter amendment that would have guaranteed funding for the Cincinnati Housing trust Fund was soundly defeated by voters in a citywide election last week.
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