Local & Regional
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Infrastructure Policy
Trading Quad-Gates for Silence: How Local Governments Establish FRA Quiet Zones
3 sources · 44d ago
Building Codes
Federal Judge Upholds Denver's Local Ban on Natural Gas Appliances Against Industry Lawsuit
7 sources · 57d ago
Municipal Reform
Houston Voters to Decide on Charter Amendment Banning No-Knock Warrants and Decriminalizing Marijuana
6 sources · 56d ago
More in Local & Regional
ExplainerTraffic Calming
How Chicanes and Curb Extensions Cut Midblock Speeds Through Lateral Deflection
Urban Planners 40%Emergency Responders 30%Local Residents 30%
ExplainerAlgorithmic Redistricting
Equal-Area Voronoi Algorithms Minimize Voter Travel Distance in Polling District Maps
Demographic Advocates 40%Geometric Purists 30%Civic Technologists 30%
ExplainerCommunity Finance
Auctioning Pot Discounts Converts Rotating Savings Into Peer Credit
Borrowers (Early Winners) 35%Savers (Late Winners) 35%Institutional Foremen 30%
ExplainerUrban Heat Islands
Surpassing 40 Percent Tree Canopy Cover Triggers Nonlinear Block-Level Cooling to Offset Urban Heat
Urban Climatologists 40%Municipal Planners 35%Arid-City Foresters 25%
ExplainerUrban Design
Placing 15 to 20 Entrances per 100 Meters Increases Pedestrian Lingering Sevenfold
Urban Designers & Planners 40%Commercial Developers 30%Behavioral Psychologists 30%
ExplainerStreet Design
Continuous Sidewalks Invert Intersection Priority and Compel Turning Drivers to Yield
Urban Planners 40%Traffic Safety Researchers 35%Active Transportation Advocates 25%
Research BriefUrban Mobility
Reducing Road Capacity Evaporates an Average of 22 Percent of Local Car Trips
Active Transit Advocates 50%Urban Planners 30%Skeptical Commuters 20%
ExplainerLand Readjustment
How Land Pooling Finances Urban Infrastructure Without Municipal Debt or Evictions
Municipal Planners 40%Original Landowners 40%Housing Advocates 20%
ExplainerUrban Planning
Targeting 85 Percent Curb Occupancy Leaves One Space Open per Block: How Performance Parking Rates Eliminate Cruising Congestion
Urban Planners 40%Municipal Transportation Agencies 35%Local Merchants 25%
Deep DiveUrban Design
Stripping Curbs and Signs Compels Eye-Contact Negotiation: How Shared Space Designs Use Spatial Ambiguity to Calm Traffic
Urban Planners 40%Visually Impaired Advocates 30%Motorists and Commuters 30%
ExplainerMunicipal Finance
The Three Revenue Pillars That Dictate Municipal Independence
Decentralization Advocates 35%Fiscal Equalization Proponents 35%Taxpayer Watchdogs 30%
ExplainerCivic Infrastructure
The 0 to 100 Scale That Quantifies the Structural Integrity and Maintenance Needs of a Local Road
Municipal Public Works Departments 40%Infrastructure Engineering Firms 35%Federal Regulators 25%
ExplainerProperty Tax Math
The Three Inputs: Assessed Value, Equalization Factor, and Millage Rate That Calculate Local Property Tax
Taxing Authorities 35%Taxpayer Advocates 35%State Revenue Departments 30%
ExplainerZoning Law
The Constitutional Tests That Determine if a Local Zoning Ordinance is Legal
Property Rights Advocates 35%Municipal Planners 35%Legal Analysts 30%
ExplainerMunicipal Finance
The Three-Part Test That Determines if a Local Government Can Legally Charge an Impact Fee
Municipal Governments 40%Property Rights Advocates 35%Housing Developers 25%
ExplainerUrban Funding
The 'Growth Lag' and 'Pre-1940 Housing' Factors That Determine a City's Federal Community Development Block Grant
Legacy City Administrators 40%Sunbelt Growth Managers 40%Fiscal Conservatives 20%
ExplainerHomelessness Policy
Why Housing First Drops Preconditions to Achieve Higher Retention Rates
Housing First Advocates 60%Conditional Aid Proponents 40%
ExplainerMunicipal Finance
The 'But-For' Test and the Base-Year Valuation That Divert New Property Taxes to Fund Local Development
Municipal Planners 40%School Districts & Tax Watchdogs 40%Economic Researchers 20%
ExplainerProperty Law
The 'Substantial Interference' and 'Reasonable Person' Tests That Define a Legal Nuisance
Property Owners 40%Legal System & Courts 40%Litigators 20%
ExplainerNative Habitat Restoration
Homegrown National Park Replaces Turfgrass With Native Plants to Rebuild Food Webs
Native Plant Advocates 50%Conservation Biologists 30%Traditional Landscapers 20%
ExplainerSunshine Laws
The 'Functional Equivalent' Test That Determines if a Private Entity Must Comply with Local Sunshine Laws
Transparency Advocates 40%Private Contractors 35%Municipal Governments 25%
ExplainerMunicipal Finance
Separate Legal Entity, Independent Debt: How Joint Powers Authorities Differ From Simple Interlocal Agreements
Municipal Finance Officers 40%Bond Investors 30%Good Governance Advocates 30%
ExplainerMunicipal Finance
GASB 34 Dual Reporting: Reconciling Modified Accrual Budgets With Long-Term Solvency
Municipal Finance Officers 35%Credit Rating Agencies & Analysts 35%Standards Boards & Regulators 30%
ExplainerCommunity Broadband
How Neighborhoods Build and Operate Independent Mesh Networks
Community Organizers 44%Emergency Responders 33%Municipal Planners 22%
ExplainerStormwater Infrastructure
Equivalent Residential Units: The Impervious Surface Metric That Dictates Your Stormwater Fee
Municipal Public Works 40%Commercial Property Owners 35%Tax-Exempt Institutions 25%
ExplainerImpact Fees
What the Nollan-Dolan Test Requires for Legal Development Impact Fees
Property Rights Advocates 35%Municipal Planners 35%Legal & Financial Analysts 30%
ExplainerZoning Reform
How Form-Based Codes Replace Traditional Zoning to Prioritize Building Design Over Land Use
Urban Planners 40%Real Estate Developers 35%Equity Advocates 25%
ExplainerPolice Accountability
How Review, Investigation, and Auditing Models Determine Police Oversight Powers
Civilian Oversight Advocates 40%Law Enforcement Unions 30%Municipal Policymakers 30%
ExplainerCivic Finance
Municipal Budget Cycles and When Residents Can Actually Influence Local Spending
Administrative Efficiency 40%Civic Participation 35%Structural Pragmatism 25%
ExplainerHousing Affordability
Community Land Trusts Split Land and Home Ownership to Preserve Affordability
Affordable Housing Advocates 40%Housing Researchers 35%Community Stewards 25%
ExplainerCivic Infrastructure
Special Districts: The Independent Taxing Powers Behind Targeted Public Services
Local Control Advocates 40%Transparency Watchdogs 40%Municipal Planners 20%
ExplainerMunicipal Governance
How Strong Mayor, Weak Mayor, and Council-Manager Systems Divide Power in US Cities
Professional Management Advocates 40%Executive Accountability Proponents 35%Structural Neutrality Analysts 25%
ExplainerMunicipal Finance
How an Unintended Flaw in California's Funding Mechanism Created a $226 Million Shortfall for San Mateo County
San Mateo County Municipalities 40%State Budget Administrators 30%Public Education Advocates 30%
ExplainerMunicipal Procedure
How Ann Arbor's City Council Uses Procedural Rules to Control Municipal Debate
Efficiency Advocates 50%Minority Representation Advocates 50%
Local Zoning
How Augusta Township Voters Overturned a $1 Billion Data Center Rezoning
Community Preservationists 40%Electoral Analysts 40%Economic Development Advocates 20%
ExplainerShort-Term Rentals
North Chicago Imposes Hard Cap of 25 Units on Short-Term Rentals
Municipal Administrators 40%Compliance Technology Providers 30%Property Operators 30%
ExplainerVaccine Policy
How 30 States Are Reshaping School Vaccine Exemptions
Public Health Officials 40%Parental Rights Advocates 35%State Policymakers 25%
ExplainerBallot Initiatives
Conneaut City Council Procedurally Delays Citizen-Led Data Center Ban from November Ballot
Grassroots Organizers 40%Municipal Leadership 35%State Policy Analysts 25%
Tenant RightsPolicy Decision
Houston City Council Passes 'Right to A/C' Ordinance for Rental Properties
Public Health Advocates 50%Tenant Rights Groups 30%Fiscal Conservatives 20%
Stadium FinancingPolicy Explainer
Kansas City Council Committee Advances Funding for Downtown Royals Stadium and Hallmark Headquarters
City Leadership & Developers 45%Taxpayer & Labor Advocates 40%Urban Planners & Local Businesses 15%
ExplainerZoning Reform
How New York City's 'City of Yes' Zoning Overhaul is Reshaping the Housing Market
Housing Advocates 40%Commercial Developers 35%Legal & Zoning Analysts 25%
Civic AI UseLocal Policy Dispute
Local Opposition to Affordable Housing Uses AI to Generate Misinformation in Pittsburgh Suburb
Borough and Transit Officials 40%Local Opposition 40%Digital Governance Experts 20%
ExplainerPublic Defense
How Washington Cities Are Redesigning Misdemeanor Enforcement to Navigate the Public Defender Crisis
City Administration 35%Law Enforcement 35%Legal Advocates 30%
ExplainerWater Infrastructure
How Los Angeles Manages Its Century-Old Water Infrastructure
Utility Managers 40%Urban Planners 30%Environmental Advocates 30%
Arena SubsidyPolicy Decision
Portland City Council Approves $120 Million for Moda Center Renovation Amid Public Funding Debate
City Negotiators 38%Taxpayer Advocates 38%Trail Blazers Ownership 25%
Last-Mile LogisticsPolicy Explainer
NYC Mayor Backs 'Delivery Protection Act' to End Amazon's Subcontractor Delivery Model
Labor & City Government 40%Corporate Logistics 35%Local Subcontractors 25%
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