United States

Open Streets Events Enjoy Coast-to-Coast Popularity
New York City and San Jose have expanded or added rules that temporarily close some of their streets to automobile traffic. This continues a string of successes for the open streets movement.
Natural Gas Is the New Top Dog in U.S. Energy Production
A new report puts natural gas ahead of coal in the U.S. energy production portfolio.
The Counties With the Fastest Growing Population of Older Americans
The country as a whole is getting older—though some counties are aging faster than others.
10-Cent Fuel Tax Introduced by Conservative Republican
The basics of South Carolina Rep. Tom Rice's "Highway Trust Fund Certainty Act": Increase federal gas and diesel taxes by 10.1 cents in one year, index to inflation, and issue an income tax credit for $133.

Status Report: the Rise of Innovation Districts
Last year, the "innovation district" rose to prominence as a way to describe urban knowledge economy epicenters. This report from Bruce Katz and Brookings describes how the phenomenon continues to evolve.
Sunday Funday: Video Game Plays on Fears About Crumbling Infrastructure
The game is called INFRA—the action is set in a city where corruption in the private and public sectors has left the city on the brink of collapse.
Stopping Development—How Far Is Too Far?
Fierce business competitors have to step lightly to avoid liability under American antitrust law and 'commercial interference' torts. A recent report takes a comprehensive look at where the line is when it comes to stopping a development project.

Tiny House Movement Pushing the Boundaries of Traditional Zoning
Tiny Houses on trailers are available and buyers are ready to live small, but most zoning regulations don’t allow recreational vehicles as a permanent residence. Can zoning catch up to the tiny living trend?
Cities Where Density Benefits Transportation Efficiency
A simple demonstration of one of the benefits of density.

Battle Cry of the Suburban Majority
According to Joel Kotkin, the next culture war will be fought over how and where Americans choose to live. It's suburbs vs. cities, again.
Obama Administration Adds New Clout to Fair Housing
The Department of Housing and Urban Development has released the details of the final rule for Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, which will give new strength to the goals set forth by the Fair Housing Act of 1968.
Memphis Residents Weigh in on Fairgrounds Redevelopment
Consultant teams collaborate to provide both in-person and online engagement opportunities, and the city sees an impressive response.

Missouri Shows How Not to Expand Highways, Though Unintentionally
The Missouri Department of Transportation will adhere strictly to a "fix it" (as opposed to "fix-it-first") policy for the next five years, because there are no funds for roadway expansion.
Looking for (and Finding) Positives in the U.S. Housing Market
Quartz shares a collection of data showing reasons for optimism on the road to a long, slow recovery.
The Passaic River: A Postindustrial River Reimagined
Writer Jeff Byles chronicles the Passaic River's relationship to Paterson, New Jersey and how its revival can prove beneficial for the city in this second installment of the Paterson series.
Explained: the Power and Potential of Community Land Trusts
A clear, detailed explanation of community land trusts—a growing model for retaining affordable housing and neighborhood character in the face of gentrification pressures.
10 Leading Black Urbanists
A post for The Corner Side Yard broadens the definition of urbanism as a field of practice to include more African Americans in the discussion of who has influence in improving cities.
Ice Cream, Heavy Trucks, and Carbon Emissions
An op-ed by Jostein Solheim, CEO of Ben & Jerry's, supports the second phase of greenhouse gas emissions and fuel efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty engines and vehicles that would become effective 2018.
Need Convincing that Vehicle-Miles-Traveled Fees Make Sense?
Eric Jaffe's July 1 article in CityLab has 18 reasons, and not one in opposition. The date is significant as it marks the official kickoff of the Oregon Road Usage Charge program.

Millennials Lead in Alternate Mobility
It's no secret that Millennials will use alternate modes when they're available and accessible. It's also no secret that adapting streets to those modes—and using them—can be a bargain.
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