Government / Politics

Voters Approved 100 Percent of Pro-Transit Ballot Measures This Year
In 2021, public transit-related ballot measures passed with strong support across the country.

A Fight For the Future of People's Park
Community groups are fighting a plan to build student housing in the historic People's Park.

Report: How States Can Improve Housing Policy
While many policies that affect housing are decided on at the local level, there are several steps state officials can take to pave the way for healthier housing markets.

San Francisco Supes Reject Proposal To Turn Parking Lot Into Housing
State legislators are decrying the Board of Supervisors' decision to reject a proposal to build a 495-unit apartment building on a downtown San Francisco parking lot.

Baltimore Could Revive Dollar Homes Program
A 1970s program let Baltimore residents purchase city-owned homes for $1. Now, the city council president wants to bring it back.

A Battle Brews Over Housing Density In Seattle
The newly elected Seattle City Council will take up the debate over single-family zoning in the city.

Parking Reform Map Shows Which Cities Have Eliminated Parking Minimums
As part of #BlackFridayParking week, a crowd-sourced map tracks the growth of the parking reform movement in U.S. cities.

Vancouver's New Housing Plan Takes Shape
If its proposals are effectively implemented, Vancouver's new housing plan would promote 'missing middle housing' and increase density near jobs and transit.

Key Lessons From COP26
Observers express cautious optimism as countries come together on climate goals, but developing nations say they need more support to mitigate the impacts of climate change already in progress.

Report: San Diego Transportation Plan Won't Meet Climate Goals
A regional plan announced by the San Diego Association of Governments will fall short of the city's goals to increase alternate mode trips to 50 percent, report finds.

L.A. Shifts Homeless Policy to Clear Street Encampments
Advocates say L.A.'s new focus on clearing 'unsightly' homeless encampments is a political band-aid that won't help people find permanent housing.

St. Louis Could Fine Developers For Multi-Family Conversions
The city is considering implementing a fee for developers who reduce the number of units in a rehabbed building in a bid to discourage the loss of housing.

Austria to Mandate COVID-19 Vaccination
Life for the unvaccinated in many European countries is becoming more difficult as infections surge. Austria will take the ultimate step in February and require residents to become inoculated unless medically exempt. A lockdown begins Monday.

The Blue State Problem
The New York Times and Last Week Tonight With John Oliver have a message for progressives living in liberal cities in Blue States: you're part of the problem.

Could France's Approach to Combating NIMBYism Work in the United States?
France passed a law that required cities to have a certain percentage of social housing. Since then the country's most exclusionary cities and suburbs have seen a fivefold increase in the availability of social housing.

Evidence for Tolls as a 'Surefire' Traffic Congestion Fix
Traffic on a Louisville freeway fell by half after a toll was implemented. Could this be the best way to reduce traffic congestion?

Opinion: To Meet Climate Goals, Bay Area Needs More Transit-Oriented Development
The region's transit-oriented development (TOD) plan requires a significant update to achieve the density and housing goals laid out in the MTC's 30-year vision.

Minor Defendants: Kids Are Being Named in Evictions
Absurd as it may sound, minor children are sometimes named in eviction filings. If a child’s name makes in onto official court records—especially if those records are public and online—the damage can be irreversible.

How Tacoma Can Build More Equitable Transit
Advocates are calling for a 0.1 percent sales tax increase that could fund improved service and lower fares for the city's struggling transit system.

Freeway Expansions Continue to Threaten Black and Brown Communities
Despite calls to center equity in infrastructure projects, highway construction and expansion still disproportionately impacts communities of color, according to a Los Angeles Times investigation.
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