Buzz

Maryland Governor’s Gas Tax is Right Way to Fund Transport

Ben Ross | Greater Greater Washington | February 3rd | 1

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley wants to take gasoline off the list of things exempt from his state’s sales tax. Ben Ross of Greater Greater Washington explains why this is a good idea, and suggests how the money could best benefit all transit users.

In Response to AZ Ban, Tucson Students Hold Their Own Ethnic Studies Classes

Valeria Fernández | Feet in 2 Worlds | February 3rd | 0

In response to a local law that would virtually outlaw Mexican-American studies classes in a Tucson school district, several hundred high-school and middle-school students staged a walkout and teach-in to remedy the discriminatory gap that had opened up in the classroom.

Philly Debates Shrinking School District

Patrick Kerkstra | PlanPhilly via The Notebook | February 2nd | 0

Plans are in the works to close one of three public middle schools serving a neighborhood in southwestern Philadelphia. Officials say the school’s remote location makes it ripe for the chopping block, but some parents remain concerned about relocating their children.

New Orleans to Stop Releasing Criminal Records of Homicide Victims

Matt Davis | The Lens | February 2nd | 0

Until yesterday, the New Orleans Police Department released the criminal records of all homicide victims to inform communities about the link between murder and criminal behavior. But after media controversy surrounding the delay to make a white victim’s record public, the city will reverse its policy.

Features

Article | The Aspirational States of America

President Obama’s vision for the United States updates the American Dream with old rhetoric. Isn’t it time to recognize that 21st-century values need to be different than ones of the past?

Diana Lind | Next American City | Read more
Announcement | The Storefront for Urban Innovation

Next American City is launching The Storefront for Urban Innovation this spring. Learn about how the organization hopes to broaden its audience and increase its impact with this new experiment.

Diana Lind | Read more
Article | Sprawl, Under Any Other Name, is Still Sprawl

A big-box retailer wants to open a branch in the Cleveland suburb of Strongsville. Richey Piiparinen points a finger at the sprawl lobby.

Richey Piiparinen | Rustwire | Read more
Article | With Homeless Prevention Program Expiring, Homeless Rates Remain Ominous

A new report finds that, although homelessness in the U.S. shrank ever so slightly over the past two years, a combination of rising housing prices, low wages for the poor and a soon-to-expire federal program means it’s hardly on the decline.

Matt Bevilacqua | Next American City | Read more

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Topics

Infrastructure
Maryland Governor’s Gas Tax is Right Way to Fund Transport by Ben Ross | Greater Greater Washington
Governance
New Orleans to Stop Releasing Criminal Records of Homicide Victims by Matt Davis | The Lens
Culture
Mine, Yours, Ours: The Space Saver Project by Sana Venjara | Next American City
Education
In Response to AZ Ban, Tucson Students Hold Their Own Ethnic Studies Classes by Valeria Fernández | Feet in 2 Worlds
Economy
Maryland Governor’s Gas Tax is Right Way to Fund Transport by Ben Ross | Greater Greater Washington
Built Environment
A Demolition Dictionary by Kyla Fullenwider | Next American City