In Philadelphia, small non-profits can force payment from area businesses and owners through Business Improvement District regulations.
"In University City, a nonprofit dedicated to picking up litter and conducting safety patrols is tired of relying solely on voluntary contributions to fund its activities. Now, it wants businesses and property owners with at least four units to pay up.
A 2000 amendment to a state law made it easier for community groups to create Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), which are types of Neighborhood Improvement Districts (NIDs) that collect mandatory "assessments" from those who benefit from their services."
Yet is the system "taxation without representation", as some opponents claim?
FULL STORY: Tax Burdened

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?
TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.

Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events
Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”

Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan
The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.
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This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
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Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
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Municipality of Princeton (NJ)