Government / Politics

Leading up to the 2012 Olympics, a group in London is taking advantage of stalled building projects to create 2,012 public gardens in the city before the sporting event.

August 20, 2011 - Inhabitat

Completed in 1914, the project was the most ambitious undertaking by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in its time. Today, the $5.25 billion upgrade is in the works.

August 19, 2011 - The New York Times

Despite a raft of major projects that have stalled, smaller-scale projects are moving ahead in Las Vegas.

August 19, 2011 - Las Vegas Sun

Plans for a downtown football stadium in Los Angeles are seeming ever more likely to pan out. The project present an opportunity for the city to develop a major center, but shortsightedness could keep it from becoming an exciting part of the city.

August 19, 2011 - Los Angeles Times

A new guidebook has been released that's aimed at helping planners and city officials to know which types of green infrastructure are worth investment.

August 18, 2011 - Landscape Architecture Foundation

A long simmering debate over how to deal with a damaged inner city freeway has seemingly found a conclusion as voters in Seattle have approved a plan to begin work on replacing the freeway with a tunnel.

August 18, 2011 - The Seattle Times

The slums are either a socially cohesive neighborhoods or a major problem -- depending on who you are. This exploration into the slums of Manila show the disconnect between the people and the government about the slums and their future.

August 18, 2011 - New Statesman

Philadelphia has long been derided for its dirty and filthy streets. This reputation has turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

August 18, 2011 - The Philadelphia Daily News

Slate looks at the work and vast urban transformations brought about under the leadership of New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan.

August 17, 2011 - Slate

Government contracts are filling the pockets of contractors in the Washington D.C. area and helping to create some of the nation's wealthiest neighborhoods.

August 17, 2011 - The Washington Post

Crime in urban areas is on the decline. Some attribute the drop to increases in the amount of people returning to city centers.

August 17, 2011 - Governing

Delinquent properties are scattered throughout Philadelphia, and they collectively owe nearly $500 million in taxes. This is a major problem for the city, and new legislation is hoping to tackle it.

August 17, 2011 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Plagued by foreclosures, DeKalb County Georgia is buying up properties and creating a land bank in hopes of spurring redevelopment.

August 17, 2011 - Atlanta Journal Constitution

The S.C. Dept. of Transportation is so broke that it won't be able to pay its contractors after meeting its payroll. It is depending on a payment from the FHWA and requesting additional reimbursements while rejecting federal funds for education.

August 17, 2011 - The (Charleston) Post and Courier

The ruling by Judge Bert A. Bunyan of the State Supreme Court in Brooklyn on Tuesday added steam to the NYC transportation commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan's campaign for pedestrian-oriented, cyclist-friendly streets.

August 17, 2011 - The New York Times

Rahul Mehrotra talks to The Hindu about sustainable cities, community participation, and infrastructure. The article also has a review of his most recent book "Architecture in India Since 1990."

August 16, 2011 - The Hindu

Community leaders argue that the recently approved Philadelphia comprehensive plan does more for developers than the working class in this op-ed.

August 16, 2011 - Philadelphia Inquirer

A week after the Ames straw poll in Iowa brought all the hype to America's heartland, Money magazine announces its annual ranking of the nation's best small cities. The Midwest dominates the Top 100 list, with the Northeast coming in second.

August 15, 2011 - Money

House Transportation And Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica, R-Fl, in this opinion in the Orlando Sentinel, states his position on tolling the nation's interstate highways. He supports tolling only if applied to newly constructed lanes.

August 15, 2011 - Orlando Sentinel - Opinion

Futile efforts to deal with rampant urbanization could fetter the region's robust economy and squander its potential to become a global economic powerhouse, according to the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI).

August 15, 2011 - The Economist