United States
Is the Innovation Economy a Cover for Gentrification?
According to Kyle Chayka's critique of "The Rise of Innovation Districts" report by the Brookings Institutions, "all is not right in this innovation ideology."
Bipartisan Plan to Increase Fuel Taxes Surfaces
A surprising and unexpected bipartisan plan to increase gas and diesel taxes by 12 cents each emerged June 18 from Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). Taxes would increase six cents a gallon annually for two years.
Highway Trust Fund Ticker Updates Path Toward Insolvency
For those who haven't been following the Trust Fund's ticker, it's a bit like the deficit clock except that it runs in the opposite direction, going towards zero or insolvency. The ticker measures the balance in both the highway and transit accounts.
Induced Demand Explained (or Why We Can't Build Our Way Out of Congestion)
In case you need an easy link to reference when encountering arguments in favor of widening roads and freeways as a solution for traffic, Adam Mann provides an accessible and clear explainer article that sums up the limitations of such strategies.
How to Improve America's Infrastructure in Four Easy Steps
Rob Palter shares insights from a recent round of interviews with "government leaders, private investors, and private operators in the field of infrastructure" about how the United States can improve the poor state if its infrastructure.
Report Ranks Walkable Urbanism in America's Largest Metropolitan Areas
A new report authored by Chris Leinberger and Patrick Lynch, called "Foot Traffic Ahead," ranks walkable urban places (or "WalkUPs") around the country.
How Popular Television Predicts Urban Trends
Christopher and Lisa Leinberger present a history of popular television shows reflecting and predicting how Americans chose to live.
Study: American Housing Preferences Mimic American Politics
Emily Badger pulls particularly salient information from last week's Pew Research Center's report on political attitudes: liberals prefer the city while conservatives prefer small towns and rural areas.
Who Should Pay for Highways: Motorists or Oil Companies?
A new transportation funding option proposed by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) would repeal the 18.4-cent gas tax, unchanged since 1993, with a "small" tax levied against oil companies on each barrel of oil used to make gasoline.
States Address Impending Cut-off of Federal Transportation Funds
With federal highway funds likely to be cut off in August unless Congress can reach an agreement on a stopgap solution, some states, e.g., MO, VT, GA, AR have taken matters into their own hands to ensure that vital construction projects continue.
First Commercial Drones Take to the Skies after FAA Approval
The first FAA-approved commercial drone flights took place this week. The flights will inform the FAA's policy expected by 2015 regarding non-military drone flights, per a mandate from Congress.
Friday Funny: The Onion Satirizes our Obsession with 'High Tech Jobs'
In a totally fake news report, satirical site The Onion imagines just how far some policy makers will go to appear like they are attracting techies and innovation.
Is the 9/11 Memorial a 'Dead Space' in Lower Manhattan?
The grand opening of the 9/11 memorial and museum is derided by critics as a cold, uninviting public space, and 'ritualizing grief on a loop'
How Corruption Determines Budgets
Liz Farmer and Kevin Tidmarsh share news of a study in the Public Administration Review finding that higher instances of corruption correlate with more spending in the policy areas more likely to line the pockets of corrupt officials.
Study: Car Sharing Reduces VMT Over Time
Research out of UC Berkeley shows that car sharing lowers all customers' vehicle mileage by about a quarter over time.
5 Reasons to Move to the City (ASAP)
Kevin Roose wonders whether "choosing to live outside a major city is tantamount to opting to live in the past."
Conservatives Push Back on 'Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing' Policy
Stanley Kurtz reports that Congressman Paul Gosar (R-Arizona) "is planning to offer" an amendment to the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill that would declaw the Obama Administration's proposed "AFFH" rule.
Unsafe Streets: Report Finds Pervasive Harassment on U.S. Streets
A new report, the first of its kind, documents the pervasive harassment experienced by women, and many men, of all races, income levels, sexual orientations, and geographic locations. The report identifies the situation as an issue of human rights.
Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 Signed into Law
President Obama has signed "a bipartisan $12.3 billion water bill that will help improve harbors, waterways, levees, and ecosystems across the United States," according to an article by Adie Tomer and Joseph Kane.
40 Visualizations of America and its Relationship with Food
A new post by Vox includes 40 maps, charts, and graphs explain that where and how food works in America.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
