Government / Politics
What Happens to Planning in San Diego Now that Filner is Gone?
Reconstituting San Diego's Planning Department was one of Bob Filner's signature initiatives during his short time in office, and a centerpiece of his promise to 'put the city’s neighborhoods first'. Will his vision outlast his scandalous exit?
Economists Agree: The Olympics are a Terrible Investment
As a group from Washington, D.C. announced plans to bid for the 2024 Olympics, economists released a report on the high costs of hosting the Games for cities, including expensive infrastructure and small economic benefits.
Can Architecture Play a Role in Creating Middle East Peace?
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is bound up in intersecting issues of place, history and geography, among other things. Two Israeli architects believe architecture and urban design can help lead to an agreeable solution.
Lacking Funds for Repair, Texas Unpaves its Roads
Unable to find funding to repair roads damaged by the booming oil industry traffic, Texas will convert asphalt roads to gravel. Texas's gas tax is among the lowest in the nation.
San Diego Mayor Finally Succumbs to Scandal
A mayoral tenure that began with so much promise (especially for planners) has ended in disgrace, only months after it began. After mounting pressure from those outside and within his own party, a defiant Bob Filner announced his resignation Friday.
South Carolina's Capital Declares War on Homeless
Fearing that a growing homeless population threatens 'the new Southern hot spot', public officials in Columbia, South Carolina have instigated an aggressive program to rid the city's downtown of its neediest residents.
Janette Sadik-Khan Previews NACTO's Street Design Guide
Janette Sadik-Khan, NYC DOT Commissioner and president of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), discusses NACTO's mission and forthcoming Street Design Guide: a "permission slip" for cities to change their streets.
Community Benefits Agreement in Brooklyn Draws Criticism from Local Organizations
An agreement between Related Developers and a community organization that has gotten substantial support from an area councilman to support a job training and referral program draws criticism from some groups who feel left out.
Obstacles to a "Metropolitan Revolution"
In theory, cities might be able to revitalize their economies and infrastructure. But in reality, state governments can create all kinds of obstacles to city policy.
Congressional Congestion Threatens L.A.'s Transit Projects
Could L.A.'s ambitious transit expansion plans become a victim of Congressional budget battles? The extension of the city's subway and downtown Regional Connector are among the projects funded by the Senate but neglected by the House.
Plan Bay Area: Sued From the Right, Now the Left
Plan Bay Area must be doing something right as it seems to be antagonizing those on both ends of the planning spectrum. First, a libertarian group sues because of "densification", and now environmentalists sue because not enough funds go for transit.
Fracking Battle Consumes Britain
Prime Minister David Cameron is hoping that Britons will support hydraulic fracturing for natural gas, pointing to its use in the US as a success to be replicated. Religious leaders and some conservatives in his party aren't sold.
Is It Time for Colleges to Start Paying Taxes?
In an opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal, James Piereson and Naomi Schaefer Riley argue that its time for educational institutions to pay their fare share of taxes to support the communities in which they reside.
Taking Bicycle Parking to the Streets
We can best thank Portland and other pioneers for all their hard work with on-street bicycle parking (a.k.a. "bike corrals") by simply benefitting ourselves from their efforts. Here's how...
Luxury Condo's 'Poor Door' a Metaphor for New York's Inequality
To take advantage of NYC's inclusionary zoning giveaways, developer Extell is including 55 'affordable' units in a luxury condo building planned for Manhattan. Just one hitch: the plan segregates those tenants in their own 'separate entity'.
Proposed Energy Reforms in Mexico Could Reverse Oil Production Decline
Mexico, the world's 9th largest oil producer and first to nationalize its oil production, has seen steep production declines as the state-owned oil company lacks capital resources and expertise. Constitutional reforms would entice private investment.
White House Issues Recommendations for Responding to Extreme Weather
A task force created by the White House in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy has published its 69-point strategy for communities to better withstand and recover from extreme weather events.
Why the 'Yankee Way' is No Way to Build a Resilient City
Anyone living in New York, or paying attention to baseball, knows how one failed splashy signing can sink a team's competitiveness. Rather than trying to win with home runs, local governments should be playing small ball, argues Charles Marohn.
Court Ruling May Derail CA's High-Speed Rail Project
Unlike prior litigation based on environmental grounds, this suit, brought by a farmer, homeowner and the Kings County Board of Supervisors, is based on the rail project's business plan violating the bond measure the voters approved to fund it.
The Evolution of Bloomberg's New York
This interactive feature from the New York Times employs animation and photographs of the city over time to explore the places where the outgoing Mayor has left the biggest impression.
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
