Archives: Rules

Open Access Court Ruling – Portland, OR

In June 1998, long-distance telephone company AT&T announced itsintent to buy TCI, one of the country’s largest cable companies. TheCity of Portland and Multnomah County, Oregon agreed to transfer ofcontrol of local TCI franchises to AT&T only if AT&T allowedunaffiliated Internet service providers (ISPs) to lease capacity on thecable network. This would permit subscribers to use an ISP of theirchoice, and non-affiliated ISPs would pay AT&T a wholesale rate forthe use of its lines.… Read More

Carbon Caps With Universal Dividends

Many proposals addressing climate change advocate for a cap on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or carbon content of fuels. The limiting and lowering of carbon or GHG emissions will create a new market value for carbon. Many agree that there should be a 100 percent auction of carbon permits, and estimates indicate that carbon allowance auctions could raise $50-$200 billion annually at the national level. However, there are many different opinions as to how this money should be used. We believe that carbon cap with universal dividends on a per capita basis is the best solution and be the most politically acceptable solution. It will inspire substantial investment in clean energy technologies while protecting tens of millions of households from the impact from potentially steep increases in energy prices resulting from the cap… Read More

Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) Fees – Washington, DC

In December 2004 the Washington, DC adopted the Department of Motor Vehicle’s Reform Amendment Act, which is intended to encourage the use of hybrid cars and discourage the use of SUVs. Underthe new Act, owners of hybrid and other alternative fuel vehicles are no longer required to pay an excise tax and their registration fee is cut in half. Heavy passenger vehicles, on the other hand, must pay an increased excise tax of 8% (up from 7%) and an increased registration fee.

Location-Efficient Mortgage

Some federal policies encourage sprawling development (for instance, the federal income tax home-mortgage interest deduction encourages sprawl because it provides the largest benefit to those who buy the most expensive houses, which often are on larger lots). The federal-government-backed Location Efficient Mortgage initiative is a step in the other direction. The goal of Location Efficient Mortgages is to encourage development and home purchases in dense urban areas with amenities and public transportation close by.… Read More

Distance-Based Impact Fees – Lancaster, CA

In 1993, the city of Lancaster developed an innovative model for assessing impact fees on new development. Known as the Urban Structure Program, the model included a surcharge levied on new development beyond the central core (5 mile radius). The further out from the central core, the higher the surcharge. A typical new house located within the core, for example, incurred an impact fee of $5,500. The same house located one mile beyond the core incurred a fee of $10,800. The program was abandoned in 1997.… Read More

Transit Policy – Hasselt, Belgium

Hasselt, the capital of the Belgian province of Limburg, has a population of 68,000, and is the regional center for a population of 800,000 people. 200,000 people from the region commute in and out of the city every day. Faced with rising debt and congestion, the city council decided in 1996 that they would not build a third road ringing the city. Instead, the city converted the inner ring to a bicycle and pedestrian path, increased the frequency of buses, and announced that buses would be free of charge.… Read More

Landscape Ordinance – Chicago

In July 1999 significant amendments were added to Chicago’s landscape ordinance, making it stricter. For instance any new parking lot of 3,000 square feet or more was required to install landscape islands and trees within the lot. New parking lots of 1,200 square feet or more that are visible from a public right-of-way were required to surround themselves with 2-to-4 foot hedges. In addition, a shade tree must be planted for every 25 feet of new building frontage in most commercial and residential neighborhoods. In addition, the city has embarked on a tree-planting campaign, with the intention of planting 500,000 more trees over the next five years.… Read More

Light Pollution – Tucson/Pima County, AZ

In the heart of downtown Tucson, Arizona, a city of nearly 500,000, one can view the Milky Way with the naked eye. Tucson and Pima County first adopted outdoor lighting ordinances in 1972 in an effort to provide standards so that night lighting did not interfere with nearby astronomical observatories. The lighting control ordinance of Tucson/Pima County has been revised many times over the years. The 2006 Code is still quite strong and it is copied below.… Read More

Light Pollution – Springfield, VT

Through the implementation of light pollution reduction design and technologies and an off-site mitigation plan, Springfield, Vermont will be home to a new state prison, but will keep its dark night skies.

WhenStellafane, a local astronomy organization with observatories just four miles from the proposed site of the Southern State Correctional Facility, raised opposition to the construction of the prison, the state hired Clanton and Associates, a lighting engineering firm, to design an outdoor lighting plan that would minimize light pollution.