United States

Discussion on increasing user fee revenue has centered on increasing and/or indexing the gas tax and applying VMT fees. Now some are pushing a return of the original user fee - road tolls applied by states or regions on interstate highways.

August 2, 2013 - Governing

Recent reports have documented an alarming rise in poverty levels across America. With the federal government cutting funding for social programs serving the poor, cities are stepping into the void by creating anti-poverty centers.

August 1, 2013 - Governing

On a recent trip to Portland, land use attorney Bill Adams couldn't help but make comparisons to redevelopment efforts elsewhere. He found 7 tangible areas in which Portland shines through its copious clouds.

August 1, 2013 - UrbDeZine.com

This 16-minute radio interview of Forbes writer Micheline Maynard and Cornell urban planning professor Michael Manville explores how and why to redesign cities to make them less auto-dependent to match reduced driving.

August 1, 2013 - Here & Now

A controversial House bill that proposed drastic spending cuts to Transportation and Housing programs was pulled from the floor yesterday after Republicans balked at supporting the cuts outlined in Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) budget.

August 1, 2013 - The Hill

After a long confirmation delay, Gina McCarthy, the new head of the U.S. Environmental Protections Agency, has wasted little time wading into the controversy over the agency's (and administration's) role in addressing climate change.

July 31, 2013 - The Washington Post

Ryan Holeywell writes a follow-up to the meeting of a House Transportation subcommittee on the impending insolvency of the Highway Trust Fund - looking at it from the states' perspective rather than from Capitol Hill's. They have a lot at stake.

July 31, 2013 - Governing

Nancy Levinson, editor of Places Journal, argues that it's time for feminist architects to engage the larger sphere of political activism with concrete objectives.

July 31, 2013 - Places Journal

Rising property tax revenues, tax hikes, and the broader economic recovery are driving the longest municipal government hiring streak in the United States since 2008. However, many jobs eliminated during the recession won't be returning.

July 30, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal

With 87 total waste-to-energy plants in the U.S., the country is only able to convert 12 percent of its trash to electricity (compared to 38 percent for Germany, for instance). Why is America still sending 55 percent of its trash to landfills?

July 29, 2013 - Governing

Government incentives have long sought to boost the viability of renewable energy sources. Though it accounts for less than a quarter of 1 percent of America's power generation, utility companies say its time to stop subsidizing solar.

July 29, 2013 - The New York Times

With the impending bankruptcy of the Highway Trust Fund in October, 2014, a House Transportation & Infrastructure subcommittee invited two transportation experts - one from CBO the other from DOT, to lay out the stark facts - but did it do any good?

July 28, 2013 - Truckinginfo.com

President Obama used a tour of Jaxport to promote infrastructure investment, e.g. accommodating larger ships and intermodal cargo transfer to trains to stimulate the economy and increase employment, and maybe convert some Republicans to the cause.

July 27, 2013 - The New York Times - Politics

Reconecting America has assembled its Transit Space Race guide for 2013, a handy interactive map and spreadsheet of the 721 fixed guideway projects being planned or built across the U.S. The projects represent more than $250 billion in investments.

July 26, 2013 - Reconnecting America

Driven by student activism and less idealistic motivations for improving energy efficiency, college campuses across the Unites States are pioneering 'innovative approaches to rethinking energy infrastructure'.

July 25, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Planning professor Doug Kelbaugh lives in one of the few neighborhoods outside Manhattan with a perfect 100 Walk Score. His brother's house in South Carolina has a Walk Score of 1. Kelbaugh reflects on the extremes, and what they mean.

July 25, 2013 - Congress for the New Urbanism

In a wide-ranging interview with Metropolis Magazine, CNU founding member Peter Calthorpe opines on China's planning process, the future of America's suburbs, CA high-speed rail, and why he would retire the term 'transit oriented development'.

July 24, 2013 - Metropolis POV Blog

Mark Lebetkin highlights 19 of the best bike paths to be found in America's cities. From San Deigo to Boston, the paths were chosen for their beauty, accessibility, and functionality.

July 24, 2013 - The Active Times

Ideally, the best way to encourage sales of non-polluting electric vehicles would be to price carbon emissions. But if that isn't possible, why not reward EV owners with perks such as free parking; or would that be a distortionary incentive?

July 24, 2013 - UC Berkeley: Energy Economics Exchange

During the Great Recession, household formation in the U.S. was well below historic levels, dimming the demand for new homes. Although many sectors of the economy have experienced sustained recoveries, household growth still lags.

July 24, 2013 - Trulia