Government / Politics

San Francisco Houses

CA Gov.: Cities Must Meet Housing Goals or State Will Withhold Gas Tax Funds

Newly inaugurated California Gov. Gavin Newsom made waves on Thursday in his budget address, threatening cities and counties with the possibility of losing a portion of their gas tax subventions if they fail to meet their state housing requirements.

January 14, 2019 - Streetsblog California

Washington, D.C.

Federal Shutdown Threatens Rental Assistance Program

The ongoing shutdown of the federal government could begin to have terrible consequences for some of the nation's most vulnerable populations.

January 13, 2019 - NBC

Tolls, Not Gas and Sales Taxes, Will Fund I-81 Improvements in Virginia

Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam announced he is backing Republican legislation to toll all lanes of Interstate 81 to fund $2.2 billion in improvements along the 325-mile corridor, heavily used by trucks, from West Virginia to Tennessee.

January 13, 2019 - The Washington Post

Electric Car

Mileage Fee or Annual Fee for Electric Vehicles?

What's the best way to ensure that electric vehicle drivers pay to maintain the roads they drive on, considering they don't pay fuel taxes? A new report from the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies was sent to the California legislature.

January 11, 2019 - UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies

Boston Bus

Boston Dedicated Bus Lanes Facing Funding Questions

The bus lanes have improved travel times, but who should cover the costs isn't entirely clear.

January 11, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Downtown Highway

Smart Cities, at What Cost?

Kansas City, Missouri, wants to be a smart cities leader, but it also needs to address concerns about data collection and privacy, say critics.

January 10, 2019 - The New York Times

Gold Coast and Old Town

Progressive Property Tax Proposal Dies in Less Than 24 Hours

Susana Mendoza, a Chicago mayoral candidate, reconsidered her plan for a graduated property tax after receiving pushback.

January 10, 2019 - Crain's Chicago Business

Philadelphia Rowhouses

Philadelphia Unlikely to Follow Minneapolis' Lead in Zoning Reform

Minneapolis is setting a bold example by ending single-family zoning, but chances are a similar change won’t be coming to Philadelphia.

January 9, 2019 - PlanPhilly

Boston, Massachusetts

Massachusetts Tops California in Emission Reductions

California and Massachusetts use the same name for climate change legislation, Global Warming Solutions Act, and set the same target date for reductions, 2020. Both achieved their targets 2016, but the Bay State had a tougher goal to meet.

January 8, 2019 - WBUR

Trash Can

Nudging People to Keep Cities Clean

Philadelphia looked at how interventions can change recycling and littering behavior.

January 8, 2019 - Apolitical

Carpool Lane Sticker

New Year's Law: Over 200,000 EV Drivers Lost Access to California Carpool Lanes

As many as 215,000 owners of mostly electric vehicles purchased before 2017 lost their privilege to access carpool lanes on New Year's Day. The main purpose of HOV lanes is to reduce congestion.

January 8, 2019 - Capital Public Radio

National Parks

Opinion: Close National Parks During the Shutdown

The consequences of allowing the public free access to national parks without any supervision or maintenance operations are to great a risk, according to a former director of the National Park Service.

January 7, 2019 - The Guardian

Tax

Fighting Climate Change With an Income Tax

There's been a lot of talk about the Green New Deal, but not that much is known about it. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who is promoting it, explained the program on 60 Minutes on January 6.

January 7, 2019 - Politico

Seattle, Washington

Tax Deal Clears the Way for Seattle's Grand Waterfront Park Plans

A proposed waterfront plan has secured the necessary funding to move forward in Seattle, pending City Council approval.

January 7, 2019 - Crosscut

Los Angeles Metro Train

New York Times: Transit on West Coast Surging Ahead of East Coast

East Coast transit systems used to be the envy of other cities, but now the West Coast is taking big steps to expand their networks.

January 7, 2019 - The New York Times

Boston

Massachusetts Finally Enacts Tax of Short-Term Rentals

The Massachusetts Legislature approved a tax on short-term rentals in July 2018 only to have Governor Charlie Baker amend the bill. The amendments proved only a temporary setback.

January 7, 2019 - Mass Live

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D - Massachusetts)

Democratic Presidential Contenders May Elevate Housing Policy

Housing measures fared well in the 2018 election, and it's likely that Democratic contenders for the presidency in 2020 have taken notice and will boost those issues in their campaigns.

January 6, 2019 - Curbed

Modern Apartment Building

Assessing Feasibility Studies for Inclusionary Zoning

Cities use the studies to inform decisions about inclusionary housing programs. But a closer look shows that there is great variation in the methods and metrics, with no one correct approach for every situation.

January 6, 2019 - Terner Center for Housing Innovation

I-94

Wisconsin Law Could Delay Major Highway Projects

A plan to save money on highway megaprojects is likely to backfire, experts warn.

January 5, 2019 - Urban Milwaukee

Insulation

New York City Polystyrene Ban Took Effect New Year's Day

Thanks to two recent New York State court rulings, disposable food and beverage containers will no longer be made from polystyrene in the nation's largest city. The ban was originally proposed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in February 2013.

January 4, 2019 - The New York Times

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

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