Project Catalyst: An Economic Development Podcast | Episode 9: The Role of Railways in Economic Development with Brian Gwin of Norfolk Southern
Private-Public Investment in Infrastructure: Community Improvement in the Atlanta Area With Kim Menefee — TAG Infrastructure Talks Podcast
DOT’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program: What Large and Small Construction Contractors Need to Know
Transit-Oriented Development in the 305
Rapid Transit Zones in Miami-Dade County
[WEBINAR] Laying the Foundation for Maximizing Benefits Around Emerging Technologies
A Moment of Simple Justice - Hopping Turnstiles
BALTIMORE—City Opens First-of-its-Kind Public AI Lab to Expand Access -Baltimore Recreation and Parks, in partnership with tech companies NWN and Intel, launched Greenmount Recreation Center, a free, community-centered...more
A roundup of news and multimedia from the Unfamiliar Terrain team: San Francisco - San Francisco Family Zoning Plan Updates (SF Planning): As of late July, the Planning Department has updated the draft zoning height...more
Gov. Shapiro Navigates SEPTA Crisis Amid Budget Stalemate - Governor Josh Shapiro (D) is caught between House Democrats and Senate Republicans as he tries to secure long-term funding for SEPTA, which has already cut service...more
City’s Novel PHLHousing+ Program Shows Strong Results- A new study finds that families receiving unrestricted cash through Philadelphia’s PHLHousing+ program were less likely to face eviction, homelessness, or poor housing...more
$49.9B Shapiro Budget Offer Opens Path to Compromise Amid Transit, Funding Challenges - Governor Josh Shapiro’s (D) $49.9 billion budget proposal has prompted cautious optimism in Harrisburg, with Democratic leaders...more
On August 15, 2025, Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing (the “Minister”) announced the approval of several Official Plan Amendments, with modifications, to increase density and height limits in certain Major...more
BOSTON—City Deploys Sensors to Combat Rat Infestations - Boston officials announced the implementation of a new rodent-tracking sensor system throughout the city to provide data on hotspots and measure the effectiveness of...more
On August 14, 2025, the New York City Council approved the city-led Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan (MSMX), rezoning a 42-block area of Midtown South where mixed-use zoning districts allowing high-density residential development...more
PA House Advances Transit Funding Amid Budget Stalemate - The Pennsylvania House advanced a transit funding proposal as agencies across the state face potential service reductions. Although the bill reflects both Democratic...more
BOSTON—City Joins Data Alliance to Boost Services - Boston is partnering with the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance to improve resident services using AI and analytics. The City aims to modernize 311 notifications...more
Gov. Shapiro Urges Compromise as Budget Talks Stall - Governor Josh Shapiro (D) says progress is slow but ongoing in Pennsylvania’s overdue budget negotiations, with mass transit funding and school choice among key sticking...more
PHILADELPHIA—Waymo to Begin Testing Driverless Cars This Summer -Waymo is launching manual test drives of its autonomous vehicles in Philadelphia to familiarize its technology with the city. While public rides are not yet...more
Legislators to Miss Budget Deadline Again Amid $5.5B Gap, Policy Disputes -For the fourth consecutive year, Pennsylvania lawmakers have missed the June 30 budget deadline as negotiations stall over how to close a projected...more
On the evening of Thursday, June 5, the Philadelphia City Council granted preliminary approval to several bills related to Mayor Cherelle Parker’s $6.8 billion FY26 City Budget with minimal changes to the initial proposal,...more
FY26 Budget Negotiations Entering HOME Stretch - Thursday marks the final opportunity for the City Council to advance bills—including those tied to Mayor Cherelle Parker’s $6.7 billion proposed budget and Housing...more
Illinois Democrats pass budget in final minutes with sports betting tax hike- “Illinois lawmakers approved a $55.2 billion state budget package minutes ahead of a key constitutional deadline Saturday night, relying on tax...more
PA Public Transit, Facing Funding Challenges, Looks to Harrisburg for Solution - Governor Josh Shapiro (D) warns of severe cuts to bus and rail services across Pennsylvania due to financial challenges, with debates over...more
Dems Propose “Transit For All PA” Funding Package- Democratic state lawmakers have introduced the “Transit For All PA” Funding Package to provide dedicated funding for public transit systems in order to prevent service cuts...more
Mayor Parker Announces Continued Support for SEPTA Fare Subsidies -Mayor Cherelle Parker announced plans to maintain funding for SEPTA fare subsidy programs that provide City employees and low-income residents with free rides...more
City Council Green Lights Bike Lane Expansion- During Thursday’s meeting, the City Council approved legislation introduced last week by Councilmember Jeffery Young, Jr. (District 5) to add bike lanes to high-traffic streets...more
City Council Turns Attention to Affordable Housing, Rental Regulations -During Thursday’s meeting, Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (District 3) introduced a legislative package to streamline zoning and...more
Massachusetts’s Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) issued emergency guidelines for the implementation and enforcement of the MBTA Communities Act, following on the heels of the Massachusetts Supreme...more
The state’s highest court has affirmed the Legislature’s power to force towns to adopt denser, transit-friendly zoning. In 2021, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Communities Act (G. L. c. 40A, § 3A)...more
Baltimore nonprofit Waves received a $2 million grant from Baltimore’s Office of Information and Technology to deploy fiber-optic networks in low-income residential buildings, aiming to bridge the city’s digital divide...more
CHICAGO — Teachers Union Narrows Contract Demands- After eight months of increasingly tense contract negotiations, the Chicago Teachers Union has now narrowed its number of demands to land a deal in the next month, the...more