Government / Politics

Friday Funny: Grey Areas Discovered Between YIMBY and NIMBY
You know housing politics has gone mainstream when a satirical literary journal pokes fun at your acronyms.

New York’s Music Venues Vital to City, Says Report
A study of the musical nightlife of New York shows these spaces are an integral part of the city’s urban landscape.

Prime Minister Trudeau Extends Carbon Pricing Throughout Canada
A carbon tax-and-dividend plan goes into effect on January 1 in the four Canadian provinces that don't price carbon emissions. Revenues will be rebated to residents, small businesses, and public institutions as Climate Action Incentive payments.

New York Voters to Consider Term Limits for Community Board Members
Proposal 3, on November's ballot, aims to bring new diversity to the community board system that advises land use and development decisions around the city.

Chicago and New York: Two Transit Systems, Two Very Different Outcomes
Both cities have aging transit systems in need of major repairs. Chicago’s approach has helped turn the system around while New York is still grappling with its issues.

Aldermanic Obstruction Too Strong for Former Chicago Spire Site Plans
Developers Related Midwest have new plans for the infamously failed development site, but have so far been stymied by demands from the office of Alderman Brendan Reilly.

Is There Science in Planning?
A survey of planning offices in the United States reveals an important dynamic of professional practice.

One-Seat Ride to JFK a Long Shot, But Other Possibilities Exist
A one-seat train ride to JFK Airport has long been discussed, but it is not likely to happen. However, a number of options could improve the trip.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Continue to Decrease in the U.S.
President Trump and his cabinet have been busy rolling back environmental regulations and promoting coal burning, and now they claim credit for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions last year even greater than in 2016.

Lawsuit Challenges Cincinnati's Homeless Encampment Ban
The ACLU will challenge Hamilton County's ban on tent cities in court.

L.A. Ends 'Veto' Power Over Homeless Housing
Anti-poverty advocates had criticized the "pocket veto" as arbitrary and unfair—and the state agreed.

IPCC Report Sways Microsoft to Endorse Carbon Fee Initiative on Washington Ballot
A dire report on climate change issued by a United Nations panel influenced Washington-based Microsoft to take a position on a controversial state carbon fee, Initiative 1631. Oil companies are fighting back, citing wide exemptions from the fee.

Californians Could Vote to Expand Prop 13 Property Tax Breaks in November
A biting opinion piece asks why Californians would want to worsen the effects of Proposition 13 by voting yes on Proposition 5.

Arizona and Nevada to Vote on Renewable Energy Initiatives
Voters in two Western states next month will determine whether to require energy utilities to increase their share of electricity from renewable sources to 50 percent by 2030. In Arizona, the campaign has become the costliest in state history.

Op-Ed: Treat Vancouver Election as a Referendum on Zoning Decisions
The decision to rezone most of Vancouver to allow for duplexes could have consequences in this weekend's municipal election.

Tacoma Setting Land Use Barriers for Fossil Fuel
Even with a year-long halt on new projects, the city is grappling with plans for industrial land use.

Toronto's Quayside Will Be Plugged In, But the Risks for Residents Are Unclear
Technology will be part of everyday life in a new Toronto neighborhood, planned by Sidewalk Labs. But looking to the future is also raising a host of privacy concerns.

Electric Vehicles See Progress at Local Level but Setbacks in Washington
The new IPCC report calls for decarbonization of transportation. While many cities are attempting to do their part, two recent federal developments in trade policy and tax legislation threaten to will make progress more difficult.

Utah's Campaign to Deregulate Public Lands
Newly obtained documents reveal the extent of the state's efforts to strip protections from federal lands around the United States.

Contractors in Limbo While Southwest LRT Waits for Federal Funding Promise
More evidence that the Federal Transit Administration under the Trump Administration isn't interested in capital investments.
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Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service