United States

Affluent Suburb Agrees to Affordable Housing Overhaul

Westchester County, NY will be required to invest in the provision of affordable housing units in communities that lack minorities. Furthermore, they will have to actively market these units towards minority populations.

August 12, 2009 - The New York Times

Local Currencies Flourishing Amid Recession

Local currencies are seeing a resurgence in American communities.

August 12, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Cities Adjust to Presence of "Tent Cities"

Nashville is just one of many cities that have stopped dispersing and penalizing tent city settlements, but instead are relaxing some regulations and providing basic services.

August 12, 2009 - Wall Street Journal

Amtrak Routes Now on Google Transit

A recent partnership between Google and Amtrak will allow users of Google Maps / Google Transit to see Amtrak routes as a possible mode of travel, Webwire reports.

August 11, 2009 - Webwire

Steep Decline in Homeownership, Home Building Predicted

A new report shows that as the population of the U.S. ages, it is likely that more people will rent than own homes, causing a steep decline in the home building industry.

August 11, 2009 - Calculated Risk

Housing Market: Not Dead Yet

The housing crisis may be coming to an end, according to some nationwide indexes. And though prices are likely to continue to fall for about a year, some homebuilders are un-pausing their projects and moving forward.

August 11, 2009 - Time

Why Public Transit Doesn't Work In The U.S.

Gas taxes, parking charges, toll roads - these are the ingredients to making transit successful, according to experts who state that it's not enough to offer good transit - driving must become more expensive. Add to that high density land use.

August 10, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Clunkers Program Extended By Senate

With not a moment to spare, the Senate passed the House-approved version of the Clunkers program extension - an additional $2 billion to last to Labor Day, and then went into recess. Any changes would have ended the program.

August 10, 2009 - The New York Times - Business

Are Wider Roads Safer?

The "Forgiving Highway" concept of the 1960s proposed the idea that wider, straighter freeways would be safer. Not so, says TTI.

August 10, 2009 - Sustainable Cities Collective

Where Are We Going To Charge Our Cars?

Cities need stations where electric cars can recharge in order for the new technology to take off and become a reality in the future, The Wall Street Journal reports.

August 10, 2009 - The Wall Street Journal

Homes vs. Cars: Which Stimulation Package is Working?

The Center for Public Integrity runs the numbers, and finds that Americans are cashing in on "Cash for Clunkers" at a rate of $77 million a day, vs. $39 million for the first-time homebuyer credit.

August 10, 2009 - Center for Public Integrity

A Whale of a Savings

Clark Williams-Derry has been searching the horizon for the Moby Dick of smart growth statistics, and he's found it in a new study out of UC Irvine.

August 10, 2009 - Sightline Daily

Urban Policy's Organic Emergence

The White House Office of Urban Affairs is officially in action, but the creation of urban policy seems to have started on its own, according to this column form Neal Peirce.

August 9, 2009 - Citiwire

Circuit City's Out, Grocery Stores are In

Retail Traffic Magazine reports that grocery stores are increasingly moving into the spaces vacated by big box and chain retailers.

August 9, 2009 - Retail Traffic Magazine

Watching Trash

Tracking tags have been implanted in garbage in New York and Seattle to monitor where garbage goes and how municipal waste management systems can improve.

August 8, 2009 - Seed

Learning Water Conservation on the Golf Course

As water resources dwindle, golf course managers are becoming go-to experts on conservation.

August 7, 2009 - The New York Times

When Clunkers Become Junkers

Where do those 'clunkers' go once they've been accepted by the new car dealer for a $3500 or $4500 credit from the Cash for Clunkers program? Turns out the economic stimulus continues with the auto wreckers, junkyards and recyclers.

August 6, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

The Best and Worst U.S. Cities to Find Jobs

This infographic from Good shows how unemployment numbers compare in various metros in the country.

August 6, 2009 - Good

The Cost of a Hypothetical High Speed Rail Line

Economist Edward L. Glaeser crunches the numbers on a hypothetical high speed rail line between Dallas and Houston and finds the costs prohibitive.

August 6, 2009 - The New York Times

'Distracted Driving' Summit Called By LaHood

In a sign of how serious the administration is taking traffic safety, DOT Secretary Ray LaHood called for a special meeting to deal with 'distracted driving', primarily the technological type - cell phones, both hand-held and hands-free, and texting.

August 5, 2009 - The New York Times - Politics

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