United States
To Build More Affordable Housing, Start With Narrower Streets
New research shows that reducing wasteful use of street space and eliminating overly wide streets would increase opportunities for housing development and higher density.
Centering Non-Drivers Would Improve Infrastructure for All
Inadequate infrastructure disproportionately harms people with mobility challenges who can't or don't drive, but their needs closely mirror those of all pedestrians.
The Limits of Citywide Upzoning
A study shows zoning reform isn't a silver bullet for the housing crisis. In some low-income and BIPOC neighborhoods, it could 'cause more harm than good.'
Americans Are Moving Toward Climate Risk
More Americans are ignoring the realities of climate change emigrating—even as more and more climate refugees flee the damage.
The 'Mountain Lion' Cities Rising in the U.S. West
An economist identifies the growth in nine U.S. cities—scattered from Utah to Texas, Arizona, Washington, and Idaho—as similar to the economic power generated in parts of Asia.
Where Did the Federal Transit Funding Go?
The final infrastructure deal cutting by more than half the transit funding proposed in the American Jobs Plan.
Watch: The Laws and Policies Driving Up the Cost of Housing
A Vox explainer video tackles the rising cost of housing in the United States.
The History of Federal Infrastructure Funding: As Determined by the Founding Fathers
The ability of the federal government to fund, and define, infrastructure, owes itself to a history of state and federal leadership at the dawn of the nation's existence.
To Save the Climate: Driving Habits Must Change
Even with ambitious electric Vehicle adoption, the United States must reduce vehicle miles traveled by 20 percent before the end of the decade to limit warming to 1.5°C, according to new research by the Rocky Mountain Institute.
As Heat Waves Become More Common, Bus Shelters Are Needed to Keep Transit Riders Onboard
As climate change brings prolonged, intense heat waves to cities once associated with rain and cold weather will have to attend to the lack of shelter provided to bus and transit riders.
Landlords, Investors Lining Up to Evict Non-Paying Tenants
Rental housing is booming business, and some landlords and their investors see additional dollar signs in the potential to evict tenants protected by eviction moratoria up until this point in the pandemic.
Florida Judge Rules That Governor Overstepped Authority in Banning School Mask Mandates
A group of parents won the first round on Aug. 27 in a state circuit court in a dispute with the governor and state education agencies over the ability of school boards to require all students to wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Pew: More Americans Prefer Big Homes, Longer Distances to Retail and Amenities
The pandemic has resulted in an an increasing preference for sprawl among Americans, according to the findings of a recent Pew Research Center "American Trends Panel."
Supreme Court Strikes Down Federal Eviction Moratorium
The majority opinion claims the CDC overstepped its authority and calls for congressional approval of any further eviction moratoriums.
Louisiana's Health Care System on Brink of Collapse
We've been here many times before in the pandemic, but without the benefit of a vaccine. Gov. John Bel Edwards, one of a few governors to mandate mask-wearing indoors, warns of a collapse of the health care system, but also rules out restrictions.
Carbon-Offset Forests Are Burning Up in Wildfires
Wildfires are consuming forests designated for carbon storage to fight climate change, highlighting the fragility of these carbon offset schemes.
Subsidizing High-End Housing for Middle-Class Renters
Using joint power authorities, local governments can purchase luxury buildings, avoid property taxes, and offer lower rents for qualifying tenants.
Apartment Construction Ramps Up to Meet New Demand
It's unclear if or when the supply of entry level rental housing options will catch up with the demand, but some cities are building quickly.
How the Environmental Review Process Privileges Highway Construction Over Transit
U.S. transit projects have a much harder time getting environmental approval than road projects, perpetuating the dominance of cars in U.S. transportation policy.
Congressional Bills Could Hit Refresh on U.S. Dams
The 21st Century Dams Act, a proposal to remove four dams on the lower Snake River, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act all have a chance to redefine the country's approach to dams and watersheds.
Pagination
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.
One Hundred Miles
County of Mendocino
planning NEXT
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority