Government / Politics
'Hidden Gas Tax' or Not—California's Cap and Trade Policy Starts a New Era
Will California gas station see queues at their pumps on Dec. 31 as motorists seek their last fill-up before gas prices soar 15 cents per gallon, as AB 69 supporters warned? The bill died in the state legislature on August 22.
When it Comes to Seismic Safety, It's Each City for Itself
Buildings constructed of unreinforced masonry get much if not most of the media's attention on seismic safety, but so-called 'soft story' wood buildings, often with garages on the ground floor, compose the greatest numbers of vulnerable buildings.
On the Death of the San Antonio Streetcar
When former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro began his new job as secretary of HUD, the all-but-built Modern Streetcar project fell prey to gathering Tea Party forces.
A New System for Combating 'Quality-of-Life Crimes'
A proposed ordinance currently making its way through City Hall in Los Angeles would provide a new form of enforcement for crimes such as barking dogs, loud parties, and littering—which often go unenforced under the current penal system.
Napa Earthquake Shows Urgency of Building Retrofits
Sunday's powerful Bay Area earthquake brought attention to the urgent need to retrofit existing buildings in California. One expert stated the damage in Napa "was predictable." Do you know the three types of construction that need to be reinforced?
Government Reform Proposed for Better Planning in Philadelphia
Geoff Kees Thompson digs into one component of this old city's proposed mayoral platform for Philadelphia: the need to organize the city's alphabet soup of planning agencies under one director and give the Planning Commission teeth.
China Bans the Use of Coal Around Cities
In this Sunday Review editorial, The New York Times applauds China's announcement that it will ban coal burning in the Beijing region by 2020, but warns that some solutions to air pollution will exacerbate climate change.
Senators Build Suspense Regarding Gas Tax Replacement
Keith Laing of The Hill breaks the news that two influential Republican U.S. Senators predict that the federal gas tax is on its "last legs." It will be replaced with an (unnamed) user fee when the current transportation funding bill expires May 31.
Alaska Voters Reject Higher Taxes on Oil Companies
Alaskans agreed, but not by much, with Gov. Sean Parnell and not former Gov. Sarah Palin that oil companies needed to pay less taxes if they are to boost oil production. Voters rejected a tax referendum that was on Tuesday's ballot to repeal SB 21.
Pedestrians vs. Bicyclists: How to Make Peace
In this op-ed special to The Sacramento Bee, Michael Andersen of PeopleForBikes and Melissa Merson of America Walks make a convincing argument for protected bike lanes to improve both bike and pedestrian safety by getting cyclists off the sidewalk.
Review Finds Flaws in St. Paul's Draft Complete Streets Design Manual
Andy Singer reviews the new Complete Streets Design Manual Draft for the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Denver Opts for BRT over 'Modern Streetcar'
The 10-mile Colfax Ave corridor has the city's highest bus ridership but plagued by traffic congestion. After a 2-year study, bus rapid transit with dedicated lanes was selected by city and county staff as part of a $115 million investment strategy.
The Paradox of Reduced Oil Reserve Estimates
Until recently, California's Monterey Shale was estimated to have the nation's highest amount of recoverable oil. Then the Energy Department revised their estimates, lowering it 96%, which turned out to be bad news for fracking moratorium advocates.
Lean Urbanism: A Century-Old Practice?
A short case study in Lean Urbanism, compliments of Victoria Beach, Manitoba.
First 'Chief Resilience Officer' Begins Term in Oakland
Victoria Salinas was recently named Oakland, California's first Chief Resilience Officer (CRO), a position popping up in municipalities throughout the world.
California to Cap Incomes Eligible for Electric Vehicle Rebates
A bill will attempt to bring some equity to the flagrantly inequitable rebate program that subsidizes purchases of Electric Vehicles. Additional subsidies would be directed to low income families. Rebates could also be used for car share and transit.
Responding to Distorted Criticisms of the President's High Speed Rail Program
High-speed rail is not an $11-billion failure, as a recent New York Times article asserts, writes Time's Michael Grunwald. A more appropriate name would be "higher speed" rail as outside of the California project, all are upgrades of Amtrak lines.
Is Busking in D.C.'s Metro Stations Protected Speech?
The ubiquitous sight of a performer or musician asking for money in a New York City subway is conspicuously absent from Washington D.C. Metro stations, because busking is verboten in the nation's capital. A July lawsuit aims to change that policy.
How Much Will Gas Prices Rise in California After Cap and Trade?
It could be as low as nine cents per gallon, or as high as 76 cents, writes UC Berkeley energy expert Severin Borenstein. On January 1, transportation fuels are included under California's landmark cap and trade program.
America's Energy Bust
Unlike Texas and N.D, Alaska's oil production peaked in 1988 and continues to decline. An upcoming referendum on oil taxes threatens to reduce energy investment. The North Slope pipeline is carrying such low oil volumes to endanger its safety.
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
