Government / Politics

As climate change, the pandemic, and a historic housing crisis continue to impact the nation, experts weigh in on the issues that could shape the future of the built environment in 2022.

January 13, 2022 - Brookings

A 1971 effort to quantify the city's values and design goals reflects many of the same priorities that planners and residents face today.

January 13, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle

Governor Newsom has urged the state to give residents a 'gas tax holiday' by avoiding this summer's pending increase in the state's fuel tax.

January 13, 2022 - KTLA

Awarding federal funding via competitive grants could block grant opportunities for communities that need them the most.

January 13, 2022 - Governing

An analysis of New York's 34th Avenue shows substantial reductions in crashes and injuries, strengthening the body of evidence supporting car-free streets.

January 12, 2022 - Streetsblog New York City

Transportation experts warn that mandatory helmet laws for shared e-scooters could cripple the nascent industry and discourage casual rides.

January 11, 2022 - Smart Cities Dive

Based on the results of a new study on the transmission of the Omicron variant in Denmark released by the Statens Serum Institut, Tyra Grove Krause, the institute's chief epidemiologist, said, "We will have our normal lives back in two months."

January 10, 2022 - Daily Mail

If projections about remote work hold true, the resulting migration could shift economic centers, disperse housing market pressures, and transform the politics of small communities.

January 10, 2022 - Vox

As development pushes into more wildfire-prone areas and climate change makes extreme weather conditions more common, more Americans are experiencing the destructive impacts of climate disasters.

January 9, 2022 - The Washington Post

A consortium of developers have secured a $600-million loan to renovate more than 1,600 units in the New York City Housing Authority's portfolio.

January 7, 2022 - New York YIMBY

A proposal to redevelop an area of South Madison with higher density and more housing options has drawn criticism from local residents who wanted to see more single-family housing included in the plan.

January 7, 2022 - Wisconsin State Journal

Large-scale solar developments face rising hostility from neighboring property owners who cite concerns about environmental degradation, reduced property values, and loss of farmland.

January 6, 2022 - WFYI

St. Louis faces losing federal funds if the Loop Trolley remains defunct. But is the 2.2-mile line worth it?

January 5, 2022 - nextSTL

A debate over how to protect the East River waterfront from Sandy-level flooding and storm damage has delayed the project as community activists decry the city's last-minute change of plans.

January 5, 2022 - The New York Times

Many transportation equity strategies only address a small portion of the need. To be more effective, we need structural reforms that create more diverse and affordable transportation systems and more compact and multimodal communities.

January 4, 2022 - Todd Litman

Infections from the Omicron variant, which early studies suggest cause less severe illness than the Delta variant, may be contributing to a record number of hospitalizations in Ohio, the highest since the start of the pandemic.

January 4, 2022 - WSYX

A proposed ordinance that would allow neighborhood associations to request removal of bike lanes has sparked a debate over how to prioritize bike and pedestrian infrastructure.

January 4, 2022 - The Kansas City Beacon

Home insurers argue they should be able to base policy costs on modeling that accounts for future risks from climate change and overdevelopment.

January 4, 2022 - Politico

The social and economic upheaval of the last two years accelerated a shift in thinking about how we use public space and organize the urban realm.

January 4, 2022 - Wired

The former mayor's administration oversaw several major changes in the city's skyline, streets, and public spaces.

January 4, 2022 - The City