Government / Politics

The Importance of LA's Exposition Park
Centrally located in Los Angeles, Exposition Park is a 160-acre urban park that is home to key recreational, cultural, educational, and athletic institutions and facilities. Learn more about the park from its general manager Andrea Ambriz.

Supreme Court to Reconsider Martin v. Boise
The justices agreed to hear an appeal from the city of Grants Pass, Oregon, of a 2022 U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that has the potential to loosen restrictions on how nine Western states deal with tent encampments on public property.

Planning Year in Review 2023: Zoning Reform, a Rail Revolution, and Climate Realities
Last year’s most talked-about planning issues and news.

Moab Adopts Sustainability Plan
Moab adopted a Sustainability Action Plan to map out goals and strategies for the pursuit of sustainability, including the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The plan was approved by the Moab City Council on December 12, 2023.

Portland, Maine Embraces Zoning Reform for Multifamily Housing
The Portland City Council amended the land use code to allow up to four units on all residential lots on the mainland, and up to three on island lots. It also eliminated parking requirements for these uses.

California's Lone Operating Nuclear Plant Gets Five-Year Extension
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company's Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant received approval from the California PUC to operate its two reactors until 2029 and 2030. Five days later, the NRC issued a temporary license renewal.

COP28: Beginning of the End for Fossil Fuels?
A deal came together “quickly and unexpectedly" on the final night of the nearly 2-week United Nations climate talks in Dubai, UAE, according to a series of articles by Washington Post climate reporters.

All We Want for the Holidays is…
Here are a dozen timely gift ideas for creating better communities.

Texas Judge Reverses Three Austin Zoning Reforms
The ruling impacts ordinances passed in 2022 aimed at increasing housing density and supporting mixed-use development.

Article 34 in Action: Bay Area Suburb Uses 1950 Initiative to Block Homeless Housing
Next year, California voters will determine whether to repeal a 1950 initiative that requires local voter buy-in for government-supported low income housing, but that hasn't deterred Millbrae from using it to sue San Mateo County.

COP28: Will Developed Nations Reduce Emissions?
Tensions between developed and developing nations surfaced over emissions and energy, with the former focused on reducing fossil fuels and the latter pointing to unrealized emissions reductions from the nations most responsible for global warming.

FHWA Issues Emissions Tracking Rule
The agency will require states to monitor transportation emissions and create plans to address air pollution.

New York Court Rules on Cycling Search and Seizure
The ruling gives people on bikes the same rights as drivers when it comes to police stops.

Federal Court Dismisses Huntington Beach Housing Lawsuit
A federal judge on November 13 dismissed a lawsuit the Orange County city filed against the state and the Southern California Association of Governments in March in an attempt to exempt itself from state housing laws.

EPA Launches Environmental Justice Grant Program
The agency says the program is designed to be more accessible to smaller and underresourced communities.

A Little-Known Loophole Puts Cyclists at Risk
Crosswalk laws in most U.S. states don’t offer legal protections to people on bikes, scooters, or mobility devices.

‘Renters Bill of Rights’ One Step Closer to Reality
The Biden administration could strengthen tenant protections on a national scale by leveraging federally backed mortgages to mandate rent stabilization and bar discrimination in rental housing.

Tollways for Sacramento?
Road pricing terminology can be confusing, particularly since Californians see so little of it. For example, a Sacramento TV station calls proposed express lanes on Interstate 80 from Solano County to Sacramento a ‘tollway.’

After Underpass Fire, California to Review Land Lease Program
The state leases space under freeways to boost revenue, but their contracts are loosely enforced.

Nebraska Governor Orders Return to Office for State Workers
The executive order could negatively impact the state’s workforce, which faces a shortage of more than 2,500 employees.
Pagination
City of Madera
City of Santa Clarita
Borough of Carlisle
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Colorado Energy Office
Pima County Community College District
City of Piedmont, CA
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.