Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Urban Planning

Obama Administration Helps Jump-Start Two New D.C. Housing Upgrades

By Elana Schor | May 10, 2010 | No Comments

The federal government has long taken heat for giving short shrift to cities, and the Obama administration — which recently lost its urban affairs chief after months of lackluster progress — is no exception. But two projects getting underway in the U.S. capital provide evidence that, slowly but surely, federal funding is making its way […]

Menendez Proposes Tax Credit for Transit-Oriented Development

By Elana Schor | Apr 15, 2010 | 9 Comments

New construction projects that are within a half-mile of transit stations and exceeding national energy-efficiency standards would be eligible for a tax credit under legislation introduced today by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), the senior member of the Banking Committee’s transit panel. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) (Photo: Paterson Online) Menendez’s "green buildings" tax credit is aimed […]

Gillibrand Offers $1B Plan Backing Up White House on Local Food Outlets

By Elana Schor | Apr 14, 2010 | 8 Comments

Her approval rating on the rise amid a difficult election battle, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) joined the president’s campaign against childhood obesity this week by proposing $1 billion in loans and grants to build healthier neighborhood grocery stores and farmers’ markets. The view from one type of "food desert." (Photo: Springfield Institute) Gillibrand’s legislation, co-sponsored […]

New Report Puts a Price on Suburbia and Rental Housing in One U.S. City

By Elana Schor | Apr 12, 2010 | 5 Comments

How much various Boston area neighborhoods are spending on total household transport and housing bills. (Graphic: Center for Neighborhood Technology) Boston mayor Thomas Menino joined Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) today for the release of a new Urban Land Institute (ULI) report that maps the combined housing and transportation burden of living in the metro area’s […]

Planner Calls For ‘Fight’ Against High-Speed Rail Sharing Track With Freight

By Elana Schor | Apr 12, 2010 | 15 Comments

As federal and local officials plot out the future of U.S. high-speed rail, a prominent speaker at this week’s American Planning Association conference is urging fellow urban planners to "fight" the prospect of high-speed rail sharing roadbed with freight lines — a significant dilemma for Amtrak, which must split an estimated 70 percent of its […]

Feds Begin Redefining ‘Affordable Housing’ to Include Transport Costs

By Elana Schor | Mar 24, 2010 | 9 Comments

Comparing the transportation savings in dense versus dispersed neighborhoods for a dozen U.S. metro areas. (Chart: CNT) The process of expanding the federal government’s definition of "affordable housing," a stated goal of the Obama administration’s sustainable communities effort, began in earnest yesterday with the introduction of a new index that integrates transportation prices into the […]

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