Government / Politics

Big Box Tax Narrowly Fails In Montana

A bill to tax large-scale retail stores draws surprisingly broad support.

August 1, 2003 - New Rules Project

City Politics Gone Very Bad

A corruption probe in Carson, CA has expanded to include members of the powerful West Basin Municipal Water District.

August 1, 2003 - The Los Angeles Times

Should Governmental Bodies Regulate Urban Planning?

A fascinating four-part series examines to what extent and in what ways governmental bodies should regulate urban planning?

July 24, 2003 - Journal Of Markets & Morality

NGO's Shift To Carrot-Flavored Sticks

A study finds that increasingly powerful NGO's are 'moving beyond a culture of criticism to one of engagement with business and other partners in a search for solutions.'

July 21, 2003 - The Christian Science Monitor

Toronto Doomed Without A Visionary Leader, Top Planner Says

Toronto's chief planner throws down the gauntlet to the city's mayoralty candidates.

July 15, 2003 - The Toronto Star

Legislation Would Target School Overcrowding

Decision by the Harford County Council in Maryland delayed in considering a bill designed to slow residential development to ease overcrowding in public schools.

July 13, 2003 - The Baltimore Sun

Massachusetts' Efforts To Help Its Cash-strapped Cities

Massachusetts state legislature proposes a bill to assist localities in managing recent budget cuts.

July 9, 2003 - The Boston Globe

Are Neighborhood Councils Improving Governance?

The Planning Report interviews the General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Neighborhood Empowerment to assess the success of neighborhood councils on governance.

July 8, 2003 - The Planning Report

Centrists Stand Alone In California Budget Squabble

Republican California Assemblyman Keith Richman addresses the budget negotiation, responsible politics, and the loneliness of being a centrist in state politics today.

July 4, 2003 - The Metro Investment Report

Democrats Make Environmental Debate 'User-friendly'

Democratic presidential candidates are expanding the environmental debate to include social justice, national security and morality.

July 3, 2003 - The New York Times

Presidential Candidates Attack Bush's Environmental Policies

Five democratic presidential candidates criticized the Bush administration's environmental policies and touched on issues such as climate change, air quality, and brownfields.

July 2, 2003 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Criminal Investigation Into L.A. Housing Authority

The U.S. attorney's office initiates a criminal investigation into the finances of the Los Angeles Housing Authority.

July 2, 2003 - The Los Angeles Times

California's Uneven Property Tax

The California property tax system puts an unfair burden on homeowners and new businesses.

June 30, 2003 - The Los Angeles Times

Western Washington's Light Rail Woes

More roadblocks to getting the light rail built in Western Washington.

June 30, 2003 - The Seattle Times

Is Renaming Of Major Streets A New Trend?

Los Angeles debates whether to change the name of a major street.

June 28, 2003 - The Los Angeles Times

The Thriving Non-Cities Of America

Avoiding the mistakes of older cities, an "odd urban animal" is thriving in the U.S. -- the non-city.

June 26, 2003 - USA Today

Urban Revitalization: Differences Between U.K. And U.S.

An interview with U.K. deputy prime minister John Prescott; he talks about the urban policy differences between the U.S. and U.K. as well as London's bold congestion charging experiment.

June 24, 2003 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Cities For Sale

In an effort to raise money, cities are turning over their public spaces to advertisers

June 24, 2003 - The New York Times

Nevada Land Development: Corruption Or Politics?

The Los Angeles Times runs a two-part expose on Nevada Senator Harry Reid's corruption in trading money for development opportunities.

June 23, 2003 - The Los Angeles Times

Milwaukee Mayor Norquist To Be New CNU Director

Milwaukee Mayor John O. Norquist will become president and chief executive officer of the Congress for The New Urbanism.

June 23, 2003 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.