Housing and Urban Issues
Stresses on urban communities continue to affect housing, food security, child services, homelessness, business development and crime. Coverage includes stories about new solutions to how cities are run, how they develop as urban centers and about the people who live there.
The landmark environmental bill, CEQA, has been credited with preventing irreversible damage to natural habitats. But it’s also provided an avenue for resistant neighbors to block new housing in urban areas.
A study surveyed 2,000 Latino and Asian immigrants to better understand what drives social and health inequities. California is home to approximately one-quarter of the nation’s immigrant population.
The nine-station light rail line will connect some of the region’s most popular areas with hopes of providing greater access to jobs, health care and educational opportunities. The 11-mile trolley line cost nearly $2.2 billion.
The state’s Department of Commerce has awarded eight tribal governments and organizations with grants of up to $30,000 each to help plan for business development and economic opportunities.
The new federal funds should be targeted to projects that protect communities from climate change and promote social and economic mobility. Cities have hundreds of such projects ready to go.
Building energy use accounts for nearly 30 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions. The latest energy codes can reduce carbon dioxide, but many states continue to use standards that are outdated.
With $65 billion on the way from Washington to expand Internet access, it’s time for businesses, research organizations and others to join with the public sector to shape strategies to make the most of the funds.
The 2021 Ideas Challenge recognizes innovative public policy that positively impacts local communities and the NewDEAL leaders who championed them.
The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission has been working with several other organizations to establish a regional clearinghouse for broadband policy development and implementation with federal infrastructure funds.
State officials urged city residents to avoid drinking and cooking the city’s tap water as testing has revealed high-levels of lead. Benton Harbor is also a majority low-income, Black community.
With the passage of the federal infrastructure bill, transportation leaders in Illinois are gaining hope that the high-speed rail project that would connect Chicago to St. Louis can gain momentum.
The Build Back Better Regional Challenge aims to boost local economies through $1 billion of federal grants, $100 million of which will be used to support coal communities. Logan County is just one of the 10 applicants from West Virginia.
Too much of the space in our downtowns is taken up by parked cars, and requiring developers to provide so many parking slots inflates the cost of housing. It’s becoming clear that those mandates are irrational.
After a long wait, the federal infrastructure bill is headed toward President Joe Biden's desk. How can states and local areas take advantage of the $65 billion set aside for broadband? Here are some details.
The $1.2 trillion infrastructure package will give billions to the state in new spending over the next five years. Large swaths of the money will be used to upgrade Alaska’s outdated infrastructure.
The North Carolina county has been unable to secure space to protect its homeless community during the winter months as COVID-19 has reduced the number of people that each location can house.
Cities spend millions to raze vacant buildings. Why not use that money to repair them instead?
Rather than work from existing maps, the state’s bipartisan redistricting commission started from scratch and grouped residents into clusters of related communities. But not everyone is happy with the proposed changes.
Richmond and other cities are looking to amend zoning codes for new housing and business developments, hoping that looser parking requirements will allow greater investment in housing, retail and greenspace.
In light of last winter’s week-long freeze, which took out many city services, Austin’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management released 132 recommendations on how the city should prepare for future disasters.
Collinwood is a microcosm of Cleveland’s majority Black neighborhoods, where years of racism, predatory lending, gun violence and falling property values have left few options for stability and growth.
The multibillion-dollar plan would scale back the version previously proposed by disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, reducing the size and density of surrounding development. The updated station would also receive a new name.
The Purple Line, formerly the Rush Line, would run from St. Paul to White Bear Lake, and would service 21 local stations. Despite growing opposition to the $475 million project, it’s unclear if it will be enough to stop the development.
A robust, nature-rich and welcoming public realm of parks, streetscapes and civic facilities has an array of social benefits for disadvantaged communities.
Colorado is now one of eight states that allow local governments to pass gun ordinances that are tighter than state restrictions. Lawmakers in other states are looking to follow Colorado and repeal their own preemption laws.
Mayor Jenny Durkan announced an executive order that will expand the existing free transportation program for public school students and calls for incentives for electric vehicles and pedestrian travel.
The city spent hundreds of hours and $130,000 on contracting services with FLO Analytics before eventually abandoning it for a free, easy-to-use app to draft the redistricting maps. Many of the committee members are unhappy with the wasted time and money.
The Boring Company has proposed to build a pair of tunnels that would shuttle riders to the city’s beachfront in self-driving Teslas. But there are still cost and environmental concerns that need to be resolved before approval.
The city of Lansing, Mich., modernized the process of marijuana business licensing through a new online records management system. The changes have simplified the process for city staff and end users.
When Jesus Garza first moved to Arcola, Ill., he didn’t speak any English and now he’s mayor of the predominantly white, conservative town. His election represents a disconnect between local community and national politics.
With 34.4 percent of its households lacking a broadband connection, Harlingen is one of the worst connected cities in the nation. The broadband expansion project will begin next year, but the service won’t be free.
