United States

This week, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation announced the recipients of $9 million in funding aimed at utilizing technology to get people "more deeply engaged in community life." The announcement was not without controversy.

February 27, 2013 - Knight Blog

Four years after a historic down payment was made on Pres. Obama's plan to connect 80 percent of Americans to fast trains, "the prospects for a national high-speed rail system seem bleak." Politics and funding challenges have derailed the plan.

February 27, 2013 - Next City

Affordable rental housing is scarce in the US, especially among low income people, finds a new report by the Bipartisan Policy Center. As "the housing demand of Baby Boomers and their children starts to converge," the problem will only get worse.

February 27, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Accounting for 45% of America's land mass and 30% of its population, the Great Plains, the Intermountain West, the Gulf states, and the Southeastern industrial belt are key to a national revival, says a new report from the Manhattan Institute.

February 26, 2013 - New Geography

GE and Google maps have announced a new partnership that could lead to significant advances in the way infrastructure is planned, cataloged, and maintained, reports Michael V. Copeland.

February 26, 2013 - Wired

In this op-ed, MIT climate research scientist Valerie J. Karplus contrasts raising CAFE standards with gas taxes. While the former may be more politically expedient, she shows how it is less effective in reducing emissions, oil reliance and driving.

February 26, 2013 - The New York Times

With the AIA's Architecture Billings Index at its highest level since November 2007, the future is promising for a profession that's been battered for five solid years. Can the construction industry be far behind? Matt Chaban digs into the numbers.

February 23, 2013 - Crain's New York Business

Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Huffington Post have launched an online platform for Americans to vote on the Mayor's Challenge competition proposals. The 20 finalists' revised proposals are now online.

February 23, 2013 - Huffington Post

A new study finds that high commodity prices and a biofuels rush have led to rates of grassland loss in America's northern Plains “comparable to deforestation rates in Brazil, Malaysia, and Indonesia.” Brad Plumer discusses the impacts.

February 22, 2013 - The Washington Post

Transportation costs disproportionately effect low-income families, while federal transportation spending biases affluent drivers over lower-income mass transit riders. Activists are utilizing civil rights legislation to challenge the status quo.

February 21, 2013 - Boston Review

Sources said that Ernest Moniz, former Energy Department undersecretary for President Clinton may replace Steven Chu as Energy Secretary. He now directs MIT's Energy Initiative and serves on Obama's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

February 20, 2013 - Reuters

Today, President Obama is expected to flesh out the details of his plan to repair the nation’s ailing infrastructure. John Schwartz details the initiatives, which aim to circumvent Congress and capitalize on private investment.

February 20, 2013 - The New York Times

In the last three decades HOAs have grown six-fold in the U.S. They now cover 20 percent of American homes, and stifle sustainability and expression through “one of the most significant privatizations of local government functions in history.”

February 20, 2013 - NRDC Switchboard

We solve problems with over-engineered, anti-urban infrastructure schemes even though we have no plan for funding their future maintenance obligations. Howard Blackson uses San Diego as an example, and offers up some pedestrian-oriented solutions.

February 19, 2013 - PlaceShakers

A carbon tax based on Alaska's Permanent Fund, where tax revenues are returned to residents, is the model for legislation proposed by Senators Boxer (D-CA) and Sanders (I-VT) in response to Pres. Obama's call for Congress to act on climate change.

February 19, 2013 - San Francisco Chronicle

Los Angeles recently took a major step in its plan to return streetcars to downtown's streets. But they're not the only Southern California city pursuing the nation's trendy transit mode. Bill Fulton examines the attraction.

February 17, 2013 - California Planning & Development Report

Looking for a stimulating way to waste some time this afternoon? A new game from the inventive software developers at Code for America will test how well you know your city - down to the neighborhood.

February 15, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Fifty years after Jane Jacobs published her seminal book, "her vision of urban change [has] won the day," says Inga Saffron. Though her vision of physical diversity has prevailed, "that vision is also giving us a new kind of sterility."

February 15, 2013 - The New Republic

Many have commented that for a President with a strong urban background and constituency, Barack Obama has given scant attention to urban issues. Will a new program announced today change that narrative?

February 15, 2013 - The New York Times

With many states witnessing a rise in pedestrian fatalities, David M Nelson asks: "Where is the public outcry to improve safety?" With pedestrians often blamed for such incidents, he argues new laws dealing with pedestrian-vehicle crashes are needed.

February 15, 2013 - PPS Placemaking Blog