Government / Politics

Pacific Coast

Housing Litigation by California Attorney General Yields Results

A landmark state lawsuit will be settled if the Huntington Beach City Council approves an amended specific plan that increases housing. The lawsuit was enabled by 2017 legislation strengthening California's 50-year-old housing element law.

January 27, 2020 - Los Angeles Daily News

U.S. Census Bureau

Census Information for Rental Property Owners

There are a number of obstacles and issues related to the 2020 Census enumeration of apartment building residents. This set of FAQs covers “Census Information for Rental Property Owners.”

January 27, 2020 - Metropolitan Council

Los Angeles Metro Bus

Opinion: L.A. Metro Bus Plan Must Put Riders First

A bold proposal to overhaul the region’s bus system will require leaders and government officials who will commit to putting the needs of riders front and center.

January 27, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

St-Denis Street Montreal

Montreal Vacancies Leave Commercial Corridors Struggling

Areas like St-Denis Street used to be bustling shopping destinations, but a shift in recent years has resulted in many empty storefronts.

January 27, 2020 - Montreal Gazette

Texas Highway

A New Transportation Vision for Texas Not Focused on Cars?

Governor Greg Abbott recently described a possible shift in state transportation infrastructure priorities—one that doesn’t involve funding road projects.

January 27, 2020 - D Magazine

The Penninsula

Are Charter Cities Subject to California's Housing Laws?

After a San Mateo County Superior Court judge ruled that charter cities are exempt from the Housing Accountability Act, aka the anti-NIMBY law, the state stepped in to support the appellant, a YIMBY group that launched a "Sue the Suburbs" campaign.

January 24, 2020 - San Francisco Chronicle

Pedestrian Overpass

The Story Behind the I-30 Pedestrian Bridge in Dallas

Before a new bridge went in over Interstate 30, pedestrians had to traverse a dangerous roadway or use a nearby vehicle bridge that lacked a sidewalk.

January 24, 2020 - The Dallas Morning News

Andrew Wheeler

Trump Finally Comes for the 'Waters of the United States' Rule

The Trump administration is finally delivering on a promise to rescind the Waters of the United States act enacted during the Obama administration to expand the reach of the federal Clean Water Act.

January 23, 2020 - NPR

New York City Transit Authority

Breaking News: Leadership Change at New York MTA

Andy Byford has resigned as president of the New York City Transit Authority, after building a track record that includes ridership and service improvements on the troubled MTA subway system.

January 23, 2020 - Politico

Folsom Car Culture

Coming Soon: Trump's Revised Fuel Efficiency Standards

The Trump administration has submitted revised fuel efficiency standards to the White House Office of Management and Budget for a final review. If approved, the rule would overturn a key environmental initiative of the Obama administration.

January 23, 2020 - The Detroit News

Electric Car

New Jersey Might Be the Most EV-Friendly State in the Nation

Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation Friday establishing an incentive program for purchasing battery electric vehicles, allowing up to a $5,000 rebate, the nation's highest, plus $500 rebates for home-chargers. EVs are already exempt from sales tax.

January 22, 2020 - NJ Spotlight

Concord Naval Weapons Station

Future of Massive S.F. Bay Area Housing Project Uncertain Due to Labor Dispute

The $6 billion redevelopment project at the Concord Naval Weapons Station has stalled over labor issues.

January 22, 2020 - San Francisco Chronicle

Texas residential

Affordable Housing Challenges in Beltway Suburbs

More people are moving to suburban counties, but a lack of affordable housing in places such as Loudon County, Virginia, means the suburbs are not an option for a growing number of people.

January 22, 2020 - Greater Greater Washington

Body Scanners

EU Could Ban Facial Recognition Tech in Public

The European Union is preparing to take a strong position in the global debate surrounding privacy and data rights.

January 22, 2020 - Reuters

Houston Metro

Houston Just as Expensive as New York City, Study Says

The extra costs of automobile dependency turn assumptions about affordability on their head, according to a recently published report by the Citizens Budget Commission.

January 21, 2020 - Texas Monthly

Seattle Ferry

Washington Attempts to Adopt a Cleaner Cars and Clean Fuels Programs

A Pew Stateline article tackles the challenges of reducing carbon emissions from transportation compared to electricity generation and looks at recent initiatives announced by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee aimed at decarbonizing transportation.

January 21, 2020 - Pew Stateline

AirTrain Newark Airport

Cuomo's LaGuardia AirTrain Plan has a High-Profile Skeptic

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez expressed disappointment with a plan to build an AirTrain to LaGuardia Airport in a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration.

January 20, 2020 - Crain's New York Business

Brookline, Massachusetts

Positive Thinking for the Environment

There have been wins. And there will be opportunities. All is not lost for the future of the planet.

January 19, 2020 - Outside

Interbay Seattle

Report Explores Future of Seattle Interbay Armory Site

The 25-acre site will be vacant after the National Guard relocates, and a new report says a public development authority should manage the property.

January 17, 2020 - The Urbanist

Interstate 80

Wyoming Legislation Would Add Tolls to Interstate 80

A new bill would grant the Wyoming Transportation Commission the authority to impose tolls on all lanes of over 400 miles of I-80 to fund infrastructure needs on the roadway.

January 17, 2020 - CDLLife.com

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.