Government / Politics

Christopher Leinberger argues that the fundamental cause of the mortgage meltdown was a "structural shift in market demand" from low-density suburbs to walkable urban housing.

February 16, 2011 - Urban Land Magazine

Daniella Fergusson believes that a case in Raleigh, North Carolina proves that some agencies use the professionalization of planning to promote "pay to play" policies.

February 16, 2011 - Planning Pool

A successful, 1965 California farm and ranch land conservation tax mechanism is under threat by Gov. Brown of dissolution due to the $25 billion deficit. If dissolved, individual counties would have to determine to keep the tax program going.

February 16, 2011 - San Jose Mercury News

The Tyee presents a conversation between two Vancouver urban thinkers about the city's downtown and how some efforts to improve the city's core have worked while others have fallen short.

February 15, 2011 - The Tyee

One way to help build an expensive new extension of L.A's subway system is to accept corporate sponsorships, argues Joel Epstein in this op-ed.

February 15, 2011 - Los Angeles Business Journal

Climate change and sea level rise are expected to increase the amount of major storm events worldwide. For coastal parts of New York City, the effects could be catastrophic. The city is trying to plan now for the storms to come.

February 15, 2011 - WNYC

Regional water issues are of major concern in many parts of the world. The Chicago area is especially sensitive to water. New efforts are underway there to help preserve a threatened resource.

February 15, 2011 - Citiwire

Elisa Wood says that Obama's recently introduced initiative will spur innovation among high-tech companies, as well as the usual architects, builders, and energy-efficiency companies.

February 14, 2011 - RenewableEnergyWorld.com

Using the example of the failed regeneration of Green Bay's downtown led by Victor Gruen, Della Rucker argues that disregarding input from the public can have devastating repercussions.

February 14, 2011 - New Geography

What, as a society, do we share? Natural resources? Internet access? Public space? Jay Walljasper and the nonprofit On the Commons cross political boundaries to advocate for the common good and all that we share.

February 14, 2011 - Tim Halbur

It started with the popular desire to dissolve what some consider to be the cause of the 2008 melt-down - Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and has spread to rethinking the tax write-off of home ownership - a clearly unpopular notion for many.

February 14, 2011 - The New York Times - Business Day

Three public plazas in the center of Philadelphia are set to see much-needed makeovers, and soon.

February 14, 2011 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

"Intelligent cities" is picking up steam as the new buzzword in planning and a potentially game-changing way of using data to drive decisions. But we need to be sure we don't lose the human intelligence in planning.

February 13, 2011 - Next American City

President Obama's six-year, $53 billion high speed rail funding proposal must overcome stiff opposition of a skeptical Republican congress, particularly by House Transportation Chair John Mica who referenced swindler Bernie Madoff in his response.

February 13, 2011 - Orlando Sentinel

Struggling cities in the Rust Belt are actually luring a new surge of younger populations, according to this piece from Governing.

February 12, 2011 - Governing

Imbalances between the amount of cars being added to the roadways in China's cities and the amount of roads for them to drive on is brewing a major traffic problem.

February 11, 2011 - Miller-McCune

One plan to build a tunnel under the Hudson River from New Jersey to New York was killed by Governor Chris Christie, but New Jersey's senators have gotten behind a new plan to do the same thing.

February 11, 2011 - The New York Times

Developers in Las Vegas have announced a proposal for a three-stadium complex in the city intended to lure professional basketball, hockey, football and baseball teams.

February 11, 2011 - The Las Vegas Sun

With the challenges facing American cities of tight budgets and lost revenues, Major Bing openly asks how to shrink the size of Detroit and makes an open call for plans, concepts, and strategies to save the failing city.

February 10, 2011 - Washington Post

As demographics shift and housing preferences of younger buyers lean away from single-family housing, much of the single-family-home-zoned areas in Charlotte will need to be rethought, according to this editorial.

February 10, 2011 - The Charlotte Observer