Government / Politics
Watch: The Dark Side of Eminent Domain
In cities like Boston, the government’s right to take private property displaced residents and destroyed vulnerable neighborhoods and communities.
Seattle Light Rail Expansion Brings Redevelopment Boom
The city’s Northgate Link extension has spurred development around the new stations, and one neighborhood is poised to change dramatically.
All That Could Have Been: Transit Planning in Maryland
Maryland approved ambitious plans for public transit expansion around Baltimore in 2002, but almost none of it became a reality. With a new plan in the works, transit boosters assess the loss of a generation's worth of progress.
Solo-Occupant Hybrid Vehicles Lose Access to Carpool Lanes
A change in federal law on Monday meant that over 16,000 Virginia motorists must double or triple-up when using carpool lanes in Virginia. Next month, electric vehicles will need three occupants to drive free on I-395 when HOV lanes become HOT.
Two New California Laws Take Aim at Pollution from Heavy-Duty Trucks
Trucks, which disproportionately contribute toward air pollution, will soon be subject to similar types of smog checks that apply to light-duty vehicles. A second bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom will spur movement toward cleaner alternatives.
Boston's Zoning Board Called Out for Conflicts of Interest
The Boston Globe reports on reasons to suspect more conflicts of interest than there appears on the Boston Zoning Board of Appeal.
Virginia Interstate Widening Would Convert Free Lanes to Toll Lanes
The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization is proposing a 45-mile network of high-occupancy toll lanes on I–64 that includes conversions of 16 miles of carpool and three miles of general-purpose lanes. No unpriced lanes would be added.
Portland Surpassing Its Housing Bond Targets
Three years after passing a $256 million housing bond, city officials in Portland, Oregon, report that over 1,400 units of affordable housing will result from planned and completed projects.
What's Hindering Regional Transportation in the U.S.?
Public transportation that serves regional areas makes sense, but the United States has been slow to pursue strategies and policies that foster these types of systems.
Op-Ed: Feds 'Obsessed' with Undermining National Monument
Utah's Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is under severe assault from the Trump administration, Stephen Trimble writes. Long the focus of preservation efforts, the protected land is being opened up for extractive uses.
Seattle Tiny-Home Villages Facing Host of Challenges
The villages offer much-needed housing for homeless people, but controversy is brewing over their operations.
How to Prevent 'Green Gentrification'
A new report examines a range of strategies that limit the displacement effects of park projects.
U.S. Lagging in Making Streets Safer for Pedestrians
Pedestrian deaths are on the rise in the United States, but cities have been slow to implement effective policies and road design measures to change the trend.
Tampa Bay Isn't Prepared for the Hurricanes of the Future
The area is especially vulnerable to storm surge, and increased development means more people are at risk when major hurricanes push through.
Quick Build Initiative Transforming the Streets of San Francisco
Street improvements to benefit cyclists and pedestrians have been moving rapidly in San Francisco since the June approval of the Vision Zero quick-build initiative, a two-year plan to expedite safety project on high-injury corridors.
Op-Ed: NYC Transit Service Cuts Wrong Way to Bolster Budget
The agency could see an influx of capital funds from congestion pricing, but cuts to bus and rail service to make up for budget shortfalls would result in long-term setbacks to the system.
Local Governments Brace for Property Tax Relief in Texas
Before property tax relief, the property taxes will increase.
Planning Ahead for an Autonomous Vehicle Future
A new guide says cities need to plan now for AVs so they are not caught off guard when the technology finally arrives.
Cars Still Rule the Road. Is Change Possible?
The dominant narrative is that streets are for cars and infrastructure that accommodates driving is necessary for cities to grow. But cities ended up this way because of decisions that make other modes secondary.
White House Report on 'The State of Homelessness in America' Criticized
Shortly after a tumultuous visit to California focusing on the homelessness crisis in San Francisco and Los Angeles, Trump administration has released a report on homelessness that is already facing criticism.
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
