Government / Politics

Why Change Can Be Hard for Transit Agencies
Jarrett Walker discusses some reasons why transit authorities can be resistant to change. It all comes down to considering their point of view.
A $48 Million Bet on the 'L.A. Model' of Juvenile Justice
With Campus Kilpatrick, Los Angeles County has made a serious investment in progressive design to support progressive programming.

Gov. Jerry Brown Calls for Five Million ZEVs on California Roads by 2030
The executive order calls for $2.5 billion for rebates and electric charging and hydrogen fueling stations, subject to approval by legislature. His earlier executive order called for 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles by 2025.
Gov. Jerry Brown's 16th and Final State of the State
Infrastructure, climate change, and natural disasters were among the themes of the California governor's final address to the legislature and public. Two of his accomplishments, high-speed rail and increasing the gas tax, face uncertain futures.

South Carolinians Still on the Hook for Failed Nuclear Plants
“It has to be one of the greatest wastes of money in any state’s history,” Alan Greenblatt writes.

Miami-Dade Looking for Transit Funding Ideas
Officials in Miami-Dade County are moving quickly to potentially add a half-cent surtax to the November ballot.

Rift Grows Between U.S. Conference of Mayors and the White House
A delegation of mayors cancelled a scheduled visit to the White House this week after the Trump Administration ramped up attacks on sanctuary cities.

New York State, Not New York City, to Decide Whether to Toll Streets in Manhattan
While the city determines where to place parking meters and how much to charge, when it comes to charging tolls to drive in Manhattan, the city's elected leaders are excluded from the political process.

Temporary Trailers Will House Homeless in Downtown L.A.
If approved, a City Council motion would mark a shift in how Los Angeles deals with a rising number of homeless residents.
California Gas Tax Repeal Update: And Then There Was One
One of two initiatives to repeal last November's 12-cents per gallon gas tax increase failed to attract enough signatures by the Jan. 8 deadline. However, the other initiative has major backing and will likely appear on the Nov. 6 ballot.

Barrio 31 in Buenos Aires Holds Universal Truths About Informal Urban Places
A study of a poorer neighborhood in Buenos Aires reveals that a delicate balance of design, public space, planning, and access are keys to success.

New York City Congestion Pricing Plan Ready for Review
Motorists and truckers would pay tolls to drive south of 60th Street in Manhattan while passengers in taxis and ride-hailing vehicles would pay a surcharge under a plan released Friday by the Fix NYC panel convened by Gov. Cuomo in October.

Two Studies Show How Light Rail Benefits Houston
Finally, the city seems to be reaping benefits from a major investment in public transportation.

Why Zinke Gave Florida a Break on Drilling
After announcing the coast of almost all states would be open for oil and gas production, the Secretary of the Interior changed his mind on one after meeting with Trump’s favored candidate for Senate.

Fatalities Mount from Brightline, South Florida's New Higher-Speed Train Service
A 51-year-old bicyclist became the second fatality in the first week of revenue service. It was the fourth fatality since the summer for the diesel train, which operates from West Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale.

Pushing Against HUD, Fair Housing Activists Look to Procedure
With the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule on the ropes, a legal strategy has emerged to challenge HUD's plan to delay enforcement.

Bloomberg's 'What Works Cities' Initiative Now Has 100 Participants
The What Works Cities initiative has grown quickly since it launched in 2015.

The 'Wide-Ranging Ecological Downside' of Road Salt
A study from the USGS using five decades of data shows salinity and alkalinity are up in waterways across the United States.

The Slow Transition from Gas Taxes to Mileage Fees
Oregon was the first to conduct a pilot program in 2006, followed by California and Colorado last year. With financial backing from the U.S. DOT, at least four more states are exploring charging by the mile driven rather than the fuel burned.

Largest Desalinated Water Reserve Ever Unveiled in Abu Dhabi
The UAE has created a storage facility under the desert that can provide up to 100 million liters per day in the event of an emergency.
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Planning for Universal Design
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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