Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Urban Planning

16 Cities That Are Leading the Way in the Climate Change Fight

By Elana Schor | Oct 20, 2009 | No Comments

Long before Congress started to take the threat of climate change seriously, American mayors were already recognizing the need to decrease fossil-fuel consumption, promote efficiency, and generally create more livable places. Scott Smith of Mesa, AZ, the 1000th U.S. mayor to endorse emissions-reduction targets. (Photo: East Valley Trib) Scott Smith, the mayor of Mesa, Arizona, […]

White House Urban Affairs Chief: Promising Words But Little Hint of a Plan

By Elana Schor | Oct 6, 2009 | No Comments

Adolfo Carrion Jr., director of the White House’s new Office of Urban Affairs, today vowed to begin reconnecting Washington with the needs of the nation’s cities — even as he offered few tangible plans for breaking through the morass of the federal bureaucracy and effecting change in the near term. White House Urban Affairs director […]

Planetizen Unveils Its Top 100 Urban Thinkers

By Elana Schor | Sep 14, 2009 | No Comments

She may be experiencing an intellectual reconsideration in some corners, but Jane Jacobs is still a beloved figure for the urban planners and designers of Planetizen. Jane Jacobs (Photo: BusinessWeek) After a month-long online poll that saw more than 14,000 votes cast, the site released its list of the "Top 100 Urban Thinkers" today — […]

Biden on Stimulus Aid to Cities: ‘We’re Trying … It’s Imperfect’

By Elana Schor | Sep 3, 2009 | 1 Comment

Vice President Joe Biden acknowledged today that the White House’s economic recovery push has created stumbling blocks for cities hoping to take advantage of the stimulus, but he defended the administration’s efforts to take a more holistic view of transportation, housing, and other urban concerns. Vice President Joe Biden (Photo: PolitiFact.com) After a speech touting […]

Senators Propose $4 Billion for Transit-Oriented Development Grants

By Elana Schor | Aug 6, 2009 | 1 Comment

Making good on a vow first reported in Streetsblog Capitol Hill, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) and three colleagues today offered a bill authorizing $4 billion in grants to help states and cities pursue transit-oriented development, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and other green transport projects. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) (Photo: […]

How — and When — Can D.C. Help Local Transport Reform Happen?

By Elana Schor | Aug 3, 2009 | No Comments

A map of the areas served by transport MPOs, pictured in color. (Photo: NARC via Kaid Benfield) In a new op-ed for Citiwire, former Indianapolis mayor and GOP member of Congress Bill Hudnut suggests six ways that Washington can train the nation’s 350-plus metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) into tools for smart and environmentally sound transportation […]

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