Government / Politics

The Homeless Working Poor
The Salinas Valley in California is an agricultural powerhouse, but homelessness and hunger abound. Finding affordable housing is becoming increasingly difficult, even for people with jobs.

Supreme Court Refuses Landmark Homelessness Case
A closely watched court case related to how cities deal with homeless people sleeping in public, Martin v. Boise, will not get hearing with the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Decade in Urban Planning
A look back at the biggest stories and themes from the world of urban planning in the decade that was the 2010s.

A Better Way to Tackle Social and Economic Inequality
Building community wealth from the bottom up is a more effective way to turn struggling communities around.

Making Climate Change a Priority for Transportation Planning
The threat of climate change has not guided transportation planning in Chicago, and the city and region could be doing much more to promote sustainable transportation, according to the article.

New Mayor in Raleigh Calls for an Affordable Housing 'Moon Shot'
There's a necessity for Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin's affordable housing ambition: average rents are rising faster than the national average in the North Carolina city.

California Climate Program Offers Up to $9,500 Toward Purchase of Used EVs
Lawmakers want to ensure that electric vehicles are accessible to all Californians, particularly lower-income motorists in disadvantaged communities. Unlike other incentive programs, participants must also scrap an older, polluting vehicle.

Homeless Housing Requirement Threatened by New York Politics
A bill that would require all developments financed by the New York Department of Housing Preservation and Development to include housing for the homeless is unpopular in the office of Mayor Bill de Blasio.

New Oil and Gas Drilling in California May Be Subject to Moratorium
Gov. Gavin Newsom pleased environmentalists by doing what his predecessor, Gov. Jerry Brown, refused – halting all new oil and gas fracking and placing a moratorium on another extraction method linked to a massive oil spill in Kern County.

Supreme Court Could Decide on Homeless Public Sleeping
The Supreme Court will be considering for the first time whether the Constitution gives homeless people a right to sleep on the sidewalk.

Judge Shuts Down Right Wing Group's Extra-Governmental Border Wall Construction
Concerns about the impact on a nearby butterfly preserve, a judge in Texas finally shutdown private construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Judge Puts Washington's Transportation-Busting Initiative on Hold
Washington state voters expecting to see their vehicle registration fees drop to $30 on Thursday due to the passage of Initiative 976 on Nov. 5 might have to wait much longer after a King County Superior Court judge put the measure on hold.

Seattle Raising Taxes on Uber and Lyft Rides
A new 57-cent tax will help fund affordable housing and a few transportation programs in Seattle.

Where Enforcement of Jaywalking Equals Criminalization of Homelessness
Records in Salt Lake City show that police in Salt Lake City concentrate jaywalking enforcement in the corner of the city that houses most of the city's homeless services.

A New Transit Vision for Norfolk
Transit ridership in Norfolk, Virginia, has been lagging, and the city hopes that changes to the bus and rail systems will turn things around.

Madison Common Council Narrowly Approves Unpopular $40 Wheel Tax
Despite major opposition by residents, the Madison Common Council approved a $40 motor vehicle registration fee (aka 'wheel tax') on an 11-8 vote on Oct. 29 to help fund the city's new East-West Bus Rapid Transit system.

Arizona Mayors Want to Stay in the Paris Climate Agreement
The mayors of Tucson and Phoenix want Congress to block President Donald Trump from removing the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement.

Evaluating Donald Trump's Transportation Efforts
MSNBC asks if the Trump administration has accomplished with its Department of Transportation, and whether Americans are better off because of those efforts.

How One Wealthy, Historic Neighborhood Maintains an Exclusionary Status Quo
Philadelphia Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron has had enough with the exclusionary planning tactics of the neighborhood of Society Hill to start calling it the "Republic of Society Hill."

In Tulsa, Pushing Back on the Dollar Store Incursion
Restrictions in North Tulsa are part of a backlash against the dollar stores flooding communities that are food deserts in need of real grocery stores.
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