United States
Uncertain Times See Cities Planning for Peak Oil
With energy and the economy both causing headaches, 2008 has been a big year for local governments recognizing and planning for peak oil. Finding a way forward in a future of constrained energy will require much of planners.
Obama Announces Energy Team
Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, will be the President-Elect's pick for Secretary of Energy, and Carol Browner (formerly head of the EPA) will take on the newly created role of Energy Czar.
$1/Gallon Gas Consumption Tax Proposal
In this Mercury News Op-Ed, San Jose State University Professor Larry Gerston proposes this bold tax for mass transit and alternative energy programs. It yields $175 billion annually and creates green jobs, enabling us to determine our destiny.
Obama's Stimulus Package Disappoints
Columnist David Brooks warns that the Obama stimulus package fails to build on the current social movement to enliven existing suburbs and instead appears to follow a traditional roads, bridges, and refurbishing existing infrastructure approach.
German Suburbs: Look Familiar?
According to Kirk Rogers, European suburbs are not all that different from American ones--they indulge the need for space, good schools, and cars-- and they're there to stay.
Obama Puts Focus on Public Works
President-elect Barack Obama has announced a promise to institute a broad-ranging package of building programs, from infrastructure to schools -- the nation's largest public works program since the post-war era.
Incentivizing Developers In A Slump
How should cities incentivize developers in a down market? And should they? William Fulton reflects on the price cities will pay to get new buildings, and if it is worth it.
Transit Ridership is Still High
Despite falling gas prices, transit ridership is still up. The amount of Vehicle Miles Traveled is also down for the 11th month in a row.
'Window of Opportunity' for Infrastructure
Neal Peirce takes a hopeful look at President-elect Barack Obama's willingness to invest in infrastructure.
Recycling Market Bottoms Out
With the demand for consumer goods falling, the demand for recyclable materials to manufacture them is falling too. Trash is piling up across the country, and cities are canceling their recycling programs.
Experts Offer Advice on the Next Transportation Bill
National Journal Magazine has asked it's team of political insiders/bloggers to give their thoughts on how the next federal transportation bill should be written.
Throwing Money Won't Fix Nation's Transportation Infrastructure
The governors of the United States want transportation money, and they want it now. But the federal government should be careful about doling out billions in funding, according to Sam Staley and Adrian Moore.
Cities Struggling to Work With Stabilization Funds
Congress has approved a $4 billion federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program, but as the funding trickles down to cities, many find the money too tight to solve many of their problems.
Friday Funny: Eulogy for the Hummer
A victim of soaring gas prices, a slumping economy and a changing public consciousness, the Hummer appears headed for extinction.
Obama Reaches Out to Governors for Infrastructure Funding Support
Presdient-elect Obama addressed the nation's governors at a meeting of the National Governors Association on Tuesday, building solidarity between officials at the state and federal levels for an infrastructure-based stimulus package.
This Season, Some Light Displays Sacrificed
Around the country, cities have been forced to scrimp by cutting back on holiday-themed light displays.
Great Lakes Compact Comes Just in Time
Between the invasive species, questions of drinking water safety, and dipping water levels, the Great Lakes have been taking a beating lately.
Clearing the Way for Mixed-Use, But Economy Puts Projects On Hold
The people of Salt Lake City have gotten behind the switch to mixed-use, and developers have been clearing away old sprawl. But the flailing economy has put projects on hold, leaving the city with a landscape full of holes.
Woes Awaiting New Transportation Secretary
Of primary importance will be dealing with the National Highway Trust Fund, long the source of federal transportation funding, but not having seen an increase in the gas tax for 15 years, it is essentially broke - spending more than it brings in.
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
