Government / Politics
Small Urban Farms Show Success In Cuba
Small organic farms are scattered throughout Cuba that have been providing food for the country ever since the fall of the Soviet empire 20 years ago. The collaboration between the government and local farmers has benefited the whole country.
FEMA Awards Housing Contracts For Katrina Work
Based on quality of plans and competitiveness of bidding, billions of dollars in housing contracts were awarded to six companies, some with immediate political ties to the current administration.
Property Tax Increases Outstrip Personal Income Growth
Nationwide, the rise of personal property tax bills has nearly doubled as compared to the level of personal income in the years 2000-2004.
The City of Brotherly Love...And Gambling
Philadelphia is set to become the largest city in the nation with casinos, but boosters worry that the gaming venues won't fit with the city's recent revitalization.
Giving Teens A Say In Community Plans
Teenagers in Providence, Rhode Island, are getting a taste of classic planning issues.
Inclusionary Housing Doesn't Work
An economist with the National Association of Home Builders argues that government mandated inclusionary housing has good goals but negative consequences.
Why High Gas Prices Haven't Affected Driving Behavior
As gasoline prices settle at $3/gallon, oil consumption continues to climb.
California Fuel Tax Proposal Called Into Question
The proposed measure, which would raise taxes on petrol to fund conservation and alternative energy efforts, is under fire due to benefits it would provide one of its major backers.
Small Town Leading Efforts To Be More Inclusive
Bluffton, Indiana, is one of many small cities across the country making renewed efforts towards creating racial harmony in hopes of spurring economic development.
Global Warming Bill Represents A Quandary For Shwarzenegger
Having just signed an historic environmental accord with PM Blair, CA Gov. Schwarzenegger will soon face a bill that ties him to his rhetoric - the first bill in the nation to cap greenhouse gas emissions, that has been targeted by Big Business.
Americans Disapprove Of Bush's Environmental Policies
Poll finds majority of Americans are unhappy with the Bush administration's environmental policies.
Urban Fables: The Role Of Storytelling And Imagery In Successful Planning Movements
New Urbanists and pro-property rights advocates have made good use of both allegory and myth to capture the attention of planners and the public.
Property Rights Votes Face Six States
Libertarians are pushing ballot initiatives in six Western states to vastly reduce the government's power to regulate land uses. The initiatives seek to limit regulatory takings of land by requiring the government to compensate owners for any losses.
Markets Attack, Or, Why Plan?
UCLA planning professor and blogger Randall Crane revisits the markets vs planning debate, but this time from a position of moral and intellectual superiority.
How The Casinos Hit The Jackpot In Biloxi
Despite a critical housing shortage and badly needed road repairs, the city of Biloxi sees an influx of casinos due to a change in state legislation.
Michigan County Hopes To Preserve Farmland
Rural Lapeer County, near Flint, Michigan, is proposing to use public money to compensate farmers in exchange for limiting new residential and commercial development.
Ten Principles for Creating Value from Local Government Property
Local authorities in the UK are responsible for around £130 billion of real estate. Arguably, this asset base represents the largest untapped resource in local government.
Gentrification: The New York Experience
A new book from Columbia University Professor Lance Freeman documents the changes of two African-American communities in New York City.
Chechnya Works To Revitalize
Despite a still tenuous political situation, this war-battered region in the Northern Caucasuses of Russia is beginning to show signs of life.
New Urbanism Hits The Mainstream In Britain
Backed by government support, Britain's land use laws are bringing new urbanism to the mainstream.
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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