United States

A bill sponsored by Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.) whose state has suffered the ravages of recurrent tornadoes would direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to research predicting extreme weather events in lieu of climate change.

March 31, 2014 - The Hill: E2 Wire

New Census data describes the country’s movement toward large metropolitan areas. Following the recent population growth in cities like Houston and New York, nearly one in three Americans reside in the country’s ten most populated cities.

March 31, 2014 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

The 5,000 local ordinances that prohibit “annoyances” often focus on the fraught intersections of the public and private. And it’s probably no surprise that public employees often seek legal protections from annoying (or annoyed) citizens.

March 30, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

Ben Adler considers the availability of car-sharing and cab services in maintaining a car-free population.

March 29, 2014 - Grist

Initial attempts at making city streets more encouraging to cyclists have often been marred by poor design.

March 28, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

For the second installment in a five-part series on economic segregation in U.S. metros, Richard Florida examines the cities where poverty stays most hidden from "everyone else."

March 28, 2014 - Atlantic Cities

The Los Angeles Times reports on the Los Angeles Conservancy's 2014 Preservation Report Card, which "grades" each of L.A. County's local governments on their preservation programs (or lack thereof).

March 28, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in partnership with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, this week released the annual County Health Rankings. The rankings aim to inspire healthy community action.

March 28, 2014 - The Washington Post

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced a $9.3 billion settlement with Bank of America following a 2011 suit tied to the bank’s role in selling faulty mortgage-backed securities to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

March 27, 2014 - The Hill

When it comes to fracking, much dialog is about energy vs. environment. Not this one. NPR reports on the economic consequences of Europe's rejection of fracking. Many European companies are setting up shop in the U.S. where energy may cost 75% less.

March 27, 2014 - NPR Morning Edition

Where are the most dangerous—and least populated—places to live in America? Surprisingly, none are on the west coast.

March 26, 2014 - Movoto Blog

Seth Kadish says he was born with an innate sense of direction. As such, he appreciates street grids oriented to cardinal directions. The phenomena interested him enough to create a graphic that visualizes the orientation of 12 urban areas.

March 26, 2014 - Visual Statistix

For all those cities that double population during the work day, here's a revenue thought to consider. But why restrict it to in-bound commuters? What about residents who commute-out of the city? Is the commuter tax a legitimate revenue source?

March 26, 2014 - Governing

A recent article describes the context of urbanization around the country before examining the implications of the trend for the decisions made by bankers—i.e., where and how to invest—especially given the realities of the post-recession economy.

March 25, 2014 - American Banker

A recent article explores the promise—and potential pitfalls—of new technology to support the growing popularity of urban pedestrianism.

March 25, 2014 - FutureStructure

Historically, central markets served as grand social and commercial hubs for U.S. cities. A period of 20th century decline interrupted the evolution of markets, but creative and diverse examples have precipitated a recovery around the country.

March 25, 2014 - The Street Plans Collaborative

A familiar refrain: the EPA proposes new regulation of energy production, and the utility industry responds that new requirements will increase costs. The Center for American Progress recently looked back at how clairvoyant those claims proved to be.

March 25, 2014 - Triple Pundit

The growing popularity of active transportation requires planners and advocates to better survey how, where, and when people are biking and walking. A new study by the Transportation Research Board shares the cutting edge of survey techniques.

March 25, 2014 - Transportation Research Board

A pair of articles pushes back on a recent study that claims public transit use in the United States is reaching record levels.

March 25, 2014 - The Washington Post

In a pair of articles, The Hill's energy and environment blogger Timothy Cara looks at political efforts to increase natural gas exports to Europe on account of Russia's annexation of Crimea, part of Ukraine, and environmental groups opposed to it.

March 24, 2014 - The Hill