Government / Politics
A 'Climate Change' On Capitol Hill
Politicians are "scrambling" to keep up with public opinion about climate change. Bipartisan efforts to curb global warming are gaining momentum.
Scientists Say White House Misled Public On Climate Change
Hundreds of government scientists accuse the Bush administration of interfering with their work and misrepresenting their findings about climate change.
Amid Abuse, Maryland May Ban 'Ground Rents'
A bill is being pushed forward in Maryland that would ban all new "ground rents" -- a housing ownership situation in which one owner owns a house and another owns the land beneath the house. Some say the system is being used in a "predatory" way.
Original Measure 37 Case May Reach Settlement
The land rights battle that spurred the passage of Oregon's Measure 37 may come to an end, with a county-approved expedited process that would divide 22-acres of land into 8 lots.
California High Speed Rail On Life Support
California's governor supports infrastructure funding and fights global warming, but he has no love for high speed rail. His proposed budget may kill a high speed rail agency, and he wants a $9.95 billion rail bond removed from the 2008 ballot.
Squaring the Eminent Domain Circle
Writing in Land Lines, Professors Amnon Lehavi and Amir N. Licht offer a new conceptual approach to land assembly problems that attempts to circumvent the problems that arise in using eminent domain for private development.
Nagin Tells Senate He Doesn't See Federal Will To Rebuild
New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin testified to a Senate committee recently that a lack of local control over federal funding is severely limiting the Gulf Coast recovery. He says he doesn't see the federal government's will to rebuild New Orleans.
Changing Laws To Help Orlando's Homeless
A city ordinance in Orlando, Florida, does not allow social service groups that help the city's homeless population to expand or renovate their facilities, out of fear that development will be hindered. Many groups are looking to change this law.
Using 'Urban Acupuncture' To Begin Healing Cities
By focusing on certain "pressure points" in urban areas, a city can dramatically increase its quality of life, argues Jaime Lerner, the former mayor of Curitiba, Brazil.
Three New Jersey Toll Roads For Lease – Perhaps
Leasing the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, and Atlantic Expressway to private companies may bring a payment equal to the state’s debt of $30 billion, but the political repercussions for Governor John Corzine could be severe.
New Jersey Affordable Housing Plan Denied
An affordable housing plan for New Jersey has been thrown out by an appeals court, arguing that the plan was based on flawed data and did not accurately predict the demand for housing. The plan has been called discriminatory by housing advocates.
Tenants Challenge Deregulation Of 3,000 Apartments Sold In Manhattan
In October, Planetizen reported on the "largest real estate deal in US history". Profits of the $5.4 billion sale in NYC could be reduced by 6%, or $324 million, if tenants win their suit that 25% of the 12,232 apartments were illegally deregulated.
River Port Should Be Shared Asset
This editorial calls on public officials in South Carolina and Georgia to work together to build a river port that will benefit them both.
Outrage Over Pittsburgh Transit Agency Implosion
The city's Port Authority has proposed cutting 25 percent of its bus and rail service and hiking fares by 75 cents to plug an $80 million budget deficit.
Out-Of-Touch Planning Blamed For High Home Prices In Australia
Planning and land use regulations are being blamed for Australia's high home prices, and also for the fact that four of its major cities are in a list of the 25 most unaffordable cities. Some feel planners are not planning with the people in mind.
Will Scotland's First New Urbanist Town Be Built?
Despite support for the plan and the amenities it provides for Inverness, some fear that Andres Duany's planned town of Tornagrain is not needed.
City Hall Is Best Left In The Center Of The City
Mayor Tom Menino's proposal to move Boston City Hall to the south waterfront ignores the importance of the building's location, and the recent developments in downtown.
Columnist Lampoons LA's Deputy Mayor for Transportation on His Hummer
Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez takes the city's Deputy Mayor for Transportation to task for driving a Hummer. 'It's smaller than a Yukon.'
Chef Burns U.S. Farm Bill
A New York chef lays in on the policy failures, lost local economies, damaged environments, and the bland food that have resulted from the U.S. Farm Bill, which will have its every-half-decade facelift in Congress this year.
Austin Tries A Waterfront High Rise (Again)
In a rerun of a failed 1999 plan to build a high-rise near the city's Town Lake, officials in Austin, Texas, are looking to increase downtown density. The City is hoping this try works, but the original plan's opponents are still opposed.
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
