Government / Politics
New L.A. Planning Codes Could Create 'Transit Sprawl'
A new group of activists in Los Angeles is warning that recently approved changes to the city's planning code could make it easier for transit-related projects to be approved even if they are not in alignment with neighborhood planning documents.
SF's Congestion Pricing Plan Advances
Three possibilities for tolling San Francisco's downtown have been advanced by the Board of Supervisors; two involve tolling the 'Southern Gateway', the only entrance to the peninsula city that is untolled. However, Prop 26 could doom the plan.
Transit Tax Referendum May Be Blocked in Indiana
Voters in Indiana were set to vote on a referendum to raise money for an ambitious $2.4 billion transit plan, but now the state's Republican leaders say they'll block the effort.
Austin BRT Revived
Two bus rapid transit projects in Austin that have been delayed for years due to lack of funding have been revived.
Vancouver's Transit Options, With Pricetag
Mayors in metropolitan Vancouver are facing two options for expanding transit service in the region -- and a hard decision about how to generate the funding to make it happen.
Transit Transformation in New Orleans
Jonna McKone asks, "How can transportation and urban development—from housing to public spaces to landscaping—repair a blighted American city?"
Environmentalists Torn Over Smart Growth
A Berkeley, CA growth initiative revealed the stresses that smart growth play on grassroots environmental organizations like the Sierra Club where members determine positions.
Doing More With Less in Los Angeles
In a recent press release, L.A. Director of Planning Michael LoGrande announced that he is reorganizing their reduced staff to "focus on and master critical functions."
What Makes A City Great? An American Perspective
H.V. Savitch attempts to break down the attributes that make a city great, and concludes that a city need not score high in all the categories in order to achieve greatness.
California 'Fee' Proposition To Wreak Fiscal Havoc
While Propositions 19 (marijuana) and 23 (global warming suspension) grabbed headlines, Prop 26, which would require a 2/3rds vote threshold for fees, slipped under the radar and passed. Opponents say it could make regulation nearly impossible.
City Branding Can't Be Lipstick on a Pig
PlaceMaker Scott Doyon says that for cities -- maybe more than any other organization -- branding is about who you really are, and what what you really do, not a meaningless slogan or logo.
A Natural Way to Green Brownfields
With more than 11,000 acres of brownfield sites in New York City sitting underused due to contamination, officials there want to get things cleaned up and reused. Urban designer Kaja Kühl offers this field guide to small-scale bioremediation to help.
Shanghai Expo Closes With Focus On "Development through Development"
The Expo’s stated theme was “Better City, Better Life,” and organizers boasted it was the first World’s Fair devoted to the contemplation of cities.
New Republican Midwest Govs Not Of Same Mind On Rail Investments
While new Wisconsin and Ohio Republican governors are not supportive of high speed rail and my try to steer their state's high speed rail awards for road purposes, the new Republican governors of Iowa and Michigan appear to be Amtrak supporters.
Suburban Civics in the Age of Facebook
The recently retired Don Waldie, an impassioned observer and critic of metropolitan Los Angeles, spent his career finding ways for residents to participate to the civic process.
The Missed Aerotropolis
Aerotropolises are cities that develop around airports into vibrant centers of business and residences. The Boston area had a chance to make one, but the city and state missed out, according to this column.
Turning A Brutal Regime into a Tourist Attraction
Officials in Cambodia are hoping to capitalize on tourists' interest in the killing fields of the Khmer Rouge regime with a proposed theme park.
Reusing Golf Courses and Abandoned Land in Venezuela
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is urging for golf courses to be expropriated for other uses, and calling on citizens to make use of abandoned land.
Forget Cities - It's Regions and Neighborhoods That Matter
When it comes to economics, statistics, demographics, development, and our daily actions, city lines don't count for much - neighborhoods and regions are where things happen, says Kaid Benfield.
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
