Government / Politics
'Homes for All of Us' Initiative Eases San Diego Building Restrictions
The ordinance, which allows lot splitting and eases permitting for accessory dwelling units, is an effort to boost housing affordability.
Austin Considers Controversial Change to Affordable Housing Requirements
The city's commissioners are weighing the option of using neighborhood-level median income to set affordable housing restrictions, but the move could face lawsuits under the federal Fair Housing Act.
What Is CEQA?
Designed to assess the environmental impacts of new projects and provide mitigation measures, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) has a controversial history, sometimes serving as a convenient tool for groups intent on stopping or slowing development.
Portland Extends Pandemic Public Space Programs
PBOT will continue two highly successful COVID-era programs that allowed businesses and community groups to repurpose public spaces for pedestrian-oriented uses and engage with customers in safe, accessible outdoor settings.
Reimagining Public Space in the Post-COVID Era
The pandemic forced a large-scale reexamination of how public spaces and urban form impact public health and equity. Now, policymakers can learn from those innovations to plan for the future of cities.
Detroit Launches Website To Track Spending of Federal Dollars
A new web portal allows Detroiters to see how the city is spending hundreds of millions in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Vancouver Set To Finalize Broadway Rezoning Plan
A plan to increase density along the city's 'Second Downtown' promises to bring badly needed housing to the corridor as the Broadway subway line nears completion.
San Francisco Fourplex Proposal Could Skirt State Law
A proposal before the Board of Supervisors could undermine the state's density law by upzoning the city to allow duplexes, a step housing advocates call a disingenuous effort to prevent higher density.
Pumping More Oil to Lower Gas Prices
Proponents of increased oil drilling in the U.S. to replace banned Russian oil argue that it will decrease prices at the pump. A Texas reporter examined the claim with a University of Texas energy analyst. If only it was that simple.
What Is a NIMBY?
One of the most politically charged and controversial terms in planning, the acronym NIMBY stands for Not In My Back Yard.
Opinion: How Micromobility Operators Can Stay Relevant
One micromobility CEO says operators should align themselves with cities' mobility, climate, and equity goals to maintain their relevance in the urban spaces of the future.
Dallas Neighborhoods Fight Toxic Zoning
Communities in south and west Dallas are working to introduce zoning reform that would reduce industrial pollution and hold companies accountable for their impacts on surrounding neighborhoods.
More Unhoused New Yorkers Died in 2021 Than in any Prior Year
New York City saw its deadliest year for people living in shelters or public spaces, with the pandemic and a rise in deadly overdoses fueling a fatal epidemic.
Banning Russian Oil
President Biden announced a ban on the importation of Russian energy on Tuesday in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. He warned that gasoline prices will go even higher as a result. Europe will not be joining the ban.
Road Usage Charges Face Staunch Opposition
The resistance to a proposed mileage-based tax in San Diego County highlights the challenges of passing road usage fees.
Planning For Ukrainian Refugees
Millions of Ukrainian refugees are flowing into European cities. This begs the question: how can cities like Przemysl, Poland, and many others, successfully integrate displaced Ukrainians as active members of local politics, economies, and society?
NHTSA Could Expand Safety Requirements to Include Pedestrians
In a radical shift from prior policy that singled out passenger safety, new cars could be required to include more features that protect people outside the vehicle.
How Zoning Reform Could Ease Montana's Housing Crunch
A new report recommends increased production of 'missing middle housing' in Montana, which, like other Western states, is experiencing rapid growth and an increasingly tight housing market.
EPA Moves To Tighten Regulations on Emissions
Many environmental groups argue the EPA's proposed plan, which is less stringent than California's regulations, doesn't go far enough to support electrification and reduce GHG emissions.
The Conservative Case for Urbanism
Although walkable urbanism is often seen as a leftist priority, one writer argues that reducing car dependence actually closely aligns with conservative values.
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
