Blogs

October 19, 2017

2020 Census Funding Increase Needed Urgently

The 2020 Census faces severe budgetary constraints for the irreplaceable decennial count. Similar problems could be in store for other Census Bureau activities, including the American Community Survey and the already delayed Economic Census.

July 14, 2017

Why We Need to Pass a Law That Funds Urban Green Spaces

Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán recently introduced the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program Act of 2017, a bill that would codify funding for the development of urban parks, green spaces, and recreational areas in communities across the country.

May 26, 2017

Inadequate Funding Imperils a Fair and Accurate 2020 Census

There is a real concern that the 2020 Census will be underfunded and unable to deliver the type of data needed for the nation and its communities.

April 24, 2017

Celebrating the Success of CDBG and HOME

Community Development Programs have impacted communities all across the country, here are just a few of the many accomplishments made possible by CDBG and HOME.

March 22, 2017

Digital Coast Act: Protecting Our Coastal Communities

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin makes the case for why planners must tell their representatives to support the Digital Coast Act.

February 28, 2017

Budget 101: 3 Terms You Need to Know for Federal Budget Season

Planners should know about the key terms associated with the federal budgetary process: budgets, authorizations, and appropriations.

February 3, 2017

Legislation Takes Aim at Fair Housing Plans and Federal Data

Issues of housing, social equity, and access to data are critical APA legislative and policy priorities, and APA will vigorously oppose legislation that threatens them.

January 19, 2017

Michigan Joins Small Number of States With Self-Driving Car Laws

New state laws allowing for the testing of autonomous vehicles look ahead to the possibilities of the technology and the role of planning.

January 17, 2017

Obama’s HUD Showed Support for Planning — Will Trump’s?

APA's housing and community development policy expert Tess Hembree looks back on Obama's HUD legacy and reviews Ben Carson's performance at his nomination hearing.

September 29, 2016

How DO Planners Deal with Local Fracking?

A Summer 2016 JAPA article looks at how planners are dealing with the dangers and problems created by local fracking.

September 27, 2016

The First Principles of Urbanism: Part II

Digital technology can be good or bad for cities. Which way it goes depends on how well technologists and urbanists work together.

September 12, 2016

The First Principles of Urbanism: Part I

Before we can predict how technology might shape cities, we have to identify the essential efficiencies — and costs — of urban environments.

September 12, 2016

Smart City Challenge Winner Readies for Implementation

APA member Kathleen McMahon, AICP, goes behind the scenes with the City of Columbus, Ohio, to find out what's next for the Smart City Challenge winner.

September 8, 2016

Can You Sue the Government for Climate Change Impacts?

Well, a lot depends on circumstances, and environmental law is seldom a simple thing. But the answer, according to Jon Kusler, a veteran in this field, may increasingly be yes.

August 31, 2016

Parks Add Tremendous Value to Life in Tampa

Mayor Bob Buckhorn of Tampa, Florida, explains why parks are so important to his growing city.

August 16, 2016

The 4 Ways Urban Parks Bring Value to City Life

Vibrant, well-maintained parks bring public health, environmental, economic, and community benefits to cities. Catherine Nagel, executive director of the City Parks Alliance, highlights the value of parks and the need for greater investment.

July 26, 2016

The Evolution of Food Systems Planning in Kansas

How Douglas County, Kansas became a nationally recognized leader in food systems planning.

July 14, 2016

Study: Why Do Communities Adopt Inclusionary Zoning?

A new study examines why Inclusionary Zoning is a driver of economic diversity and expanding opportunities in cities across the U.S.

July 12, 2016

New Resources for Local Food Systems Planning

As a part of the Growing Food Connection partnership, APA recently unveiled a series of policy briefs for planners and decision makers that help tackle local issues in food systems planning.

July 6, 2016

Cities Subsidize Ride-Sharing to Boost Transportation Connections

The integration of ride-sharing services into municipal funding decisions holds the potential to be a low-cost way of boosting transportation investment and promoting regional integration.

June 27, 2016

Solving Chicago's Affordable Housing Conundrum

Building more market-rate housing in desirable areas, like Chicago's Lincoln Park, could increase access to affordable housing on a regional scale.

June 27, 2016

Parks Without Borders: A Free Vision for Urban Space

New York City Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, discusses his plan for creating better access to neighborhood parks throughout New York and the country.

June 21, 2016

Columbus, Ohio, Awarded 'Smart City' Grant

Columbus, Ohio, is selected to receive the Department of Transportation's "Smart Cities Challenge" grant.

June 20, 2016

Prioritizing Urban and Community Parks Can Boost Health and Social Equity

Parks are integral to health and social equity, and public policy must support the development of urban and community parks.

June 17, 2016

Historic Preservation District Authority Under Threat in State Legislatures

Historic preservation district authority is threatened by state legislation that focuses on funding and the freedom of property owners to alter their property.

June 15, 2016

Automated Vehicles and the Next Great Transformation of the Built Environment

Researchers at Florida State University and the Florida Department of Transportation document how automated vehicles may transform the built environment in coming decades.

June 7, 2016

Smart Cities: Behind the Scenes With Austin, Portland, San Francisco

This is the second of a two-part series on the plans behind DOT's Smart City Challenge.

June 7, 2016

TIGER Grant Sends Asheville's Planning Initiatives Roaring Ahead

The City of Asheville, North Carolina, leveraged federal funding to engage a marginalized community in the planning process.

June 6, 2016

Environmental Justice Through Planning

Many planners have heard of environmental justice, but there have been challenges implementing it during the planning process. For a variety of reasons, the barriers are coming down.

May 31, 2016

Behind the Scenes: Smart City Challenge Finalists

A behind-the-scenes look at the Smart City Challenge finalists.

May 25, 2016

Aviation and Economic Development Equals Aerotropolis

An exploration of the impact of an aerotropolis as a tool for economic development, sustainability, and growth management.

May 19, 2016

How Federal Transportation Funding Is Creating Opportunity in North Carolina

How Wilson, North Carolina, began righting past design wrongs with federal transportation funding.

May 18, 2016

Acute Affordable Housing Shortages Engender New State and Local Approaches

States and local governments are working to find innovative ways to remove barriers to affordable housing construction and to be more involved in planning for higher density.

May 10, 2016

Inside Look: Grand Opening of KC Streetcar

For the first time in more than 50 years, streetcars are running along the streets of Kansas City. APA was on the ground for the grand opening to get the inside scoop.

April 29, 2016

A More Perfect Union: Planning in Urban and Community Forestry

The National Urban Forestry 10 Year Action Plan promotes the integration of urban and community forestry Into all scales of planning.

April 18, 2016

Water: Cities' Biggest Risk?

Aggressive advocacy will be needed to build public support and transform the politics of water.

April 5, 2016

Federal LWCF Funding Helped Develop Phoenix's Encanto Park

The federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) provides matching state and local assistance grants to help develop parks like Encanto Park near downtown Phoenix.

April 5, 2016

'The Issue of Our Time': APA, HUD Address Income Inequality, Equitable Growth

HUD Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Harriet Tregoning tells the 2016 National Planning Conference that income inequality and equitable growth is “the issue of our time” in planning.

March 29, 2016

NOAA Unveils New Water Resources Dashboard

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration worked with APA and several water-related organizations to develop and combine resources into its new Water Resources Dashboard.

March 22, 2016

States Looking to Prevent Municipalities from Regulating Short-Term Rentals

States are looking to restrict their municipalities' control over short-term housing rentals, such as Airbnb.

March 22, 2016

Shared Mobility: A Complement to Public Transportation

A new report suggests that transit agencies should explore collaboration with ridesharing and bikesharing companies.

March 20, 2016

Support Federal Data and Funding Programs that Strengthen American Communities

Federal policy plays a critical role in providing planners with the data and resources they need to create effective and sustainable plans.

March 20, 2016

Support Federal Programs That Make American Communities Just

Partnering with local governments, planners, and residents to build neighborhoods of opportunity, promise and equity should be a fundamental goal of federal policy.

March 20, 2016

Election Year Advocacy? YES, You Can!

Eelection years hold some unique opportunities to advance a pro-planning agenda. Even if you aren’t endorsing candidates, elections open up your advocacy options.