Government / Politics
Secure the Terminal, Secure the City
Some of the reactions to the shooting at LAX revealed troubling attitudes towards public space. Inclined as we may be to tighten security, we ought not sacrifice the richness of public life in the name of safety -- even at an airport.
How to Turn $10 billion into $300 Billion: Create an Infrastructure Bank
It's certainly not a new idea - what's new is the current bipartisan Senate bill, cutely abbreviated as the BRIDGE Act, seeded with $10 billion of federal funds that would attract funds from the private sector to be loaned to worthy projects.
Could "Impact Bonds" Target Places Rather Than People?
Localities are experimenting with social impact bonds (SIBs) to fund America's social service infrastructure. John Roman asks if such an instrument could be used to help transform blighted areas.
New Study Calls Into Question Chicago's Extensive Use of TIFs
Chicago is America's undisputed leader in using tax increment financing (TIF) to spur economic development. But what is the city getting in exchange for its efforts to fight blight? A new paper says: Not much.
How the Ford Fiasco Jeopardizes Toronto’s Financial Future
Taking office on a promise of fiscal responsibility, scandal-plagued mayor Rob Ford threatens Toronto’s reputation and future prosperity. Adam Giambrone shares insights from some of Toronto’s business leaders and financial experts.
North America's 10 Smartest Cities
A year after he unveiled his list of North America's top "Smart Cities" based on a new metric meant to bring clarity and measurability to the discussion, Boyd Cohen is back with a refined methodology and a new ranking.
Solutionism in Urban Data Science
Shannon Mattern surveys the new wave of urban data science projects and argues that practitioners are trending toward an obsession with data-for-data’s-sake and an idolization of method.
Big Data Having Big Impact on City Operations
In the future, big data is supposed to help cities improve and optimize their operations. According to a new report that documents the innovative uses of data and evidence by seven major cities, the future is now.
In Absence of Gas Tax Increases, States Look to Tolls
States are increasingly looking to alternative transportation revenue sources due to the failure of state and federal gas taxes to keep up with inflation and transportation needs. More states are turning toward tolling to make up the gap.
Pro-Car Campaigns Target Copenhagen Election
Copenhagen's bike-friendly policies have become the envy of the world, but some of the city's residents are unhappy with anti-auto "discrimination". Opposition parties are hoping to ride that discontent to victory in next week's local elections.
Pocketbook Power to the People: Chicago Expands Participatory Budgeting
Five years after Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood pioneered participatory budgeting in the United States, the bottom-up budgeting practice is gaining adherents across the country. Can Rogers Park's experiment find success citywide?
Proposed Bike Lane in Alexandria Provokes (one) Cry of "Bike Wars"
A weekend op-ed in the Wall Street Journal rallying against a proposed Alexandria, Va. bike lane has likened the fight to save 37 parking spaces on par with the Revolution and the War of 1812. Could this be the revenge of Dorothy Rabinowitz?
How Many Bicycles Can Park In The Space Required By One Car? Don’t Ask PolitiFact.
PolitiFact holds politicians accountable for their claims, but how accountable is PolitiFact? Not very. It inaccurately answered a simple planning question, and was unwilling to clarify or correct its false judgment.
Will an Attack on Inequality Sway London Voters?
Concerns over growing inequality swept Bill de Blasio into New York City's Mayor's office last week. Could an election campaign based on the same theme help David Lammy become London's first black mayor?
Ohio State Senators Want to Ban LEED
If two Ohio state senators get their way, the Buckeye State will be the latest on the anti-LEED bandwagon.
Urban Politics: Voters Choose Three New Big City Mayors
Emily Badger of The Atlantic Cities and Bruce Katz of the Brookings Institution sit down with The NewsHour's Gwen Ifill for a discussion on the elections of New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.
Could California's Largest Casino Transform the State's Relationship with Gaming?
The $800 million Graton Resort & Casino will soon open in Sonoma County for the Federated Indians of the Graton Rancheria and be the closest tribal casino to San Francisco.
Obama Renews Push for Infrastructure Spending, But Is Anyone Listening?
While President Obama's push for much-needed infrastructure investment in the face of opposition and inaction may be admirable, one must ask if his continued pleas are falling on deaf ears. Could the political winds be changing?
Toronto's Problems Are Bigger Than Rob Ford
Sure, having a boorish crack-smoking mayor who refuses to get help or step down is a problem. But Toronto's existential problems are structural, writes Richard Florida. The city's "outmoded growth model and system of governance" threaten its success.
Populist Urbanism: Beyond the Creative Class
Smart Growth needs to adopt a more populist message, argues Robert Steuteville, and demonstrate how cities can empower people of all classes. Could "Lean Urbanism" provide the foundation?
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
