Government / Politics

NYC Congestion Pricing Postponed Indefinitely in 'Stunning Reversal'
MTA and transit advocates in New York City are blindsided by Gov. Kathy Hochul's announcement that the city’s long-awaited congestion pricing plan implementation will not move forward on June 30.

The Growing Role of Federal Government in Disaster Relief
As flooding, fires, and other disasters become more destructive, an effective response requires more resources than local governments can offer.

Home Equity Takings Case Will Move Forward, Federal Judge Rules
Two plaintiffs in Greenfield, Massachusetts, have accused city officials of violating the Takings Clause after the city foreclosed on their properties to recoup unpaid property taxes and then kept all the equity.

A Win for ‘Keep it in the Ground’
Coal mining in Wyoming will take a major hit as a result of a U.S. Department of Interior plan to cease future leasing of coal mines in the nation's most productive coal mining basin. The decision casts a spotlight on the presidential election.

Is Charlotte Overselling Plan to Expand Transit?
Even if voters approve a new one-cent transit sales tax, will Charlotte be able to deliver on its promise of two new commuter rail lines and a new bus rapid transit line?

California Legislature Issues Revised Budget Proposal
The new plan rejects some of Gov. Newsom’s proposed cuts to active transportation funding.

San Francisco Takes on EPA in Supreme Court Case
The Court has agreed to hear an appeal challenging federal water pollution regulations.

San Jose Tests AI Translation Tool to Improve Access to Public Meetings
More than half of the city’s population speaks a language other than English at home, making translation services a key pillar of accessibility.

Is 'Hacking' a Planning Commission a Good Idea?
Does giving short shrift to grassroots tradition cut against the dynamics of community-based decision-making?

How New Orleans is Reaching Unhoused Residents
A new city office brings together resources to offer wrap-around services and housing to the most vulnerable residents.

How Tech Helps Cities Serve Residents More Effectively
Explore tech solutions enhancing urban service delivery, fostering better citizen engagement and efficiency in municipal operations.

California Halts Three Years of Population Loss
The Golden State grew by 67,000 people, or 0.17%, last year, to just over 39.1 million on Jan. 1, 2024, according to a demographic report released April 30 by the California Department of Finance.

Red States Challenge Biden Rules That Threaten Coal Power Plants
The publication in the Federal Register on May 9 of the Environmental Protection Agency's New Source Performance Standards for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from new power plants triggered the filing of 25 lawsuits from Republican-led states.

Congestion Pricing in the San Francisco Bay Area
Planners call them “express lanes,” but make no mistake, they are congestion pricing in action, and they're successful. The Bay Area network of what the Federal Highway Administration calls “high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes” is growing.

A Cutting-Edge Planning Hackathon in Seattle
In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe covers an atypical urban planning and policy gathering called an “Urban Resilience Hackathon,” which was held at the University of Washington in Seattle late last month. For a day, the event showcased collaborative problem solving and innovative thinking in addressing urban challenges.

The BLM’s Conservation and Landscape Health Rule: An Explainer
Why is the agency’s effort to put conservation on an equal footing with other uses so controversial?

San Francisco Right to Counsel Program Prevents Hundreds of Evictions
A city program that gives at-risk tenants the right to a lawyer helped over 90 percent of participants avoid eviction.

State Lawmakers Join Fight Against Wall Street Landlords
Pushback against hedge funds buying and renting out single-family houses grows as elected officials in a handful of state legislatures seek to curb the trend amid the housing affordability crisis.

A Win for Single-Family Zoning in California
Five Southern California charter cities need not worry about lot splitting in their single-family zoned neighborhoods thanks to a Los Angeles County superior court ruling on April 22. Depending on a forthcoming ruling, 120 cities may join them.

Second Massachusetts Town Spurns State TOD Zoning Mandate
Marshfield residents voted down a rezoning plan that would have met state requirements for the town to allow development of multifamily housing near MBTA stations.
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