Government / Politics
Federal Funding for California High-Speed Rail Under Review
USDOT says it will evaluate the funding currently committed to the construction of California’s high-speed rail project, which has run years behind schedule and billions over its projected budget.
Trump Wants to Force Homeless People Into ‘Tent Cities.’ Can He?
The president pushed for sweeping crackdowns and the possible internment of people experiencing homelessness. To see what's coming, we should look to what states have already done.
Federal Funding Cuts Spark Concern Among Wildland Firefighters
Federal firefighting forces, already underresourced, are being slashed even as wildfires become a year-round problem.
Fremont, California Criminalizes Homelessness, “Abetting” Encampments
Non-profits worry the ordinance, which does not explicitly exempt service providers, will have a chilling effect on unhoused residents and those who offer resources.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Building Resilient Communities: Insights from the LA County Cities Summit
The Los Angeles County Cities Summit convened local leaders to share strategies for advancing sustainability, addressing climate resilience, extreme heat, and other pressing environmental challenges through policy and community-driven solutions.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
NYC Congestion Pricing Under Threat — Again
President Trump is attempting to make good on a campaign promise to kill New York City’s congestion pricing program, but the mechanism for ending it remains unclear.
Donald Shoup Wasn't Just About Parking. He Was About The Economics Of Public Goods.
William Fulton provides a personal perspective on Prof. Shoup's life and work: “His mission was to help people understand the underlying economics of public goods and services. Parking was simply the vehicle, one might say, that he chose to do so.”
Language Matters: Addressing Communication Gaps in Disaster Response
A UCLA study reveals that language barriers left many Asian residents in Los Angeles County without critical wildfire evacuation and recovery information, highlighting the need for more inclusive emergency communication strategies.
Cities and Test Scores
The latest test scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress suggests that student learning has not recovered from its COVID-era decline. Is this more true for urban school districts than for the rest of the United States?
South Texas At a Watershed Moment
Can South Texas rise up without drying up?
From Grants to Growth: The Critical Role of Funding in Urban Transportation Projects
How cities are taking innovative approaches and adopting technology to develop sustainable, long-term funding sources for transportation infrastructure.
January Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month
How a tidal wave of potential changes at the federal level could throw many programs planners depend on into chaos, a roundup of last year’s zoning stories, and the continuing ripple effects of a landmark Supreme Court case.
Condos, a Key Source of Affordable Housing for Homeowners, Are in Jeopardy
Decades of increasing costs and deferred maintenance could lead to people losing their homes unless changes are made.
From Plan to Place: Providence’s Downtown Renaissance
Providence’s downtown is transforming from plan to place. Decades of strategic planning, zoning reforms, & investment are paying off, creating a more vibrant, walkable urban core. Here’s how thoughtful policy and design are shaping the city’s future.
DOT Memo Directs Transportation Funding to Communities With Higher Marriage and Birth Rates, Compliance with Immigration Officials and No Mask Mandates
The memo ties immigration enforcement to federal funding and prohibits mask or vaccine mandates.
Commentary: Why We Need a Federal Definition of ‘Rural’
A patchwork of definitions of rural versus urban areas has real consequences for communities seeking federal funding.
From Brownfields to Community Assets: A Conference on Land Revitalization
The 2025 California Land Recycling Conference (CALRC) will convene experts in Carson, CA, from September 16-18 to discuss brownfield redevelopment, sustainability, and equitable land reuse, with session proposals open until March 31, 2025.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
