United States
LaHood a 'Spending Superstar'
The Wall St. Journal calls new transportation secretary Ray LaHood the "secretary of earmarks", and one of the biggest spenders in Congress.
Housing Starts Plummet
The latest figures show a dramatic drop in housing starts across the United States -- a sign, according to Dean Baker, that builders are having trouble securing credit.
Nearly the End of the Line for S.U.V.’s
The last S.U.V.s rolled off the assembly line at General Motors' plants in Janesville, Wisconsin and Moraine, Ohio, victims of both the economic crisis and the plummeting market for gas guzzlers.
Streetcar Suburbs Without Streetcars?
Matthew Ridgeway wonders if the infrastructure benefits of new streetcar projects- facade improvement, streetscaping, community investment- could happen with direct investment, leaving streetcars out of the picture.
Pain at the Pump, Suburban Blues and the Resurgence of Compact Growth
A paradigm shift is occurring in the development patterns of American cities -- even the inner cities that have struggled for decades with decay and abandonment, writes Kofi Sefa-Boakye of the Compton Community Redevelopment Agency.
Census Reveals Recession’s Effect On Migration
The U.S. Census Bureau released its report for the year ending July 1, 2008. It showed that the effect of the recession was to reduce domestic migration from the Northeast and Midwest to the West and Sunbelt. Utah was the fastest growing state.
Plunging Oil Prices May Do More Harm Than Good
The Financial Times analyzes the effects of the falling price of oil on energy markets and concludes that the short term economic gain for oil consumers will come back to bite them as investments in alternative fuels will cease as will conservation.
Power Plowers
How well mayors and city officials deal with snowstorms is one of the best indicators of how well they can serve their cities, according to this article from Governing.
An Economy of Immigrants
Next American City reports on a recent conference that emphasized the role of immigrants in fueling economic growth.
Friday Funny: Living with Parents as a Housing Strategy
The Onion reports on an "area man" whose decision to live in his parents' basement looks like a wise move.
Parks May Allow Bikes on Trails
The Interior Department is proposing a rule change for National Parks that would open thousands of miles of park trails to mountain bikes. Conflicts between bikers and hikers are expected.
Smart Growth Success Stories of 2008
Kaid Benfield, Director of the Smart Growth Program at the NRDC, picks some if his favorite success stories of smart growth transformation, from Atlanta's Beltline to Berlin's Hackesche Hofe.
Reasons to Smile in 2008
Neal Peirce reflects on the happier moments of 2008 -- and a future that seems bent on creating better places and communities.
Chu-Obama Conflict On Gas Taxes?
Nobel laureate and Energy Secretary designee Steven Chu is apparently at odds with the president-elect's position on fuel prices in terms of the price signal it sends to motorists and home-buyers.
How the "Ownership Society" Backfired
The Bush Administration's ideology of homeownership combined with a lack of oversight contributed significantly to the collapse of the housing market and the present economic crisis, according to this New York Times investigation.
Developers Latest To Ask For Bailout
With a record amount of commercial real-estate debt coming due, some of the country's biggest property developers have become the latest to go hat-in-hand to the government for assistance.
Ford's New 52 MPG Hybrid
The Pulitzer-prizing winning auto columnist for the LA Times reviews the hybrid version 2010 Ford Fusion - a car that shows Washington it is on the right track, even if a tad late. Neil highlights the importance of its nickel battery technology.
A Blueprint for America's Urban Policy?
Isaiah Poole believes that the Institute for America's Future new "Main Street Recovery Program" provides the incoming administration with a strategy for public investments into America's cities.
Suburbs Benefit From an Urban President, Too
In fact, says one planner, suburbs and exurbs can expect to see some of the biggest changes of all, at least from infrastructure and transportation funding.
How Tax Breaks Fueled the Housing Bubble
This article from The New York Times looks at how Clinton-era tax breaks helped create the housing bubble.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
