This profile from Miller-McCune looks at a Berkeley, California official who made use of a 100-year old funding mechanism to take the city solar.
When trying to figure out how to convert his home to solar power, Francisco DeVries found that, despite the long-term savings, dropping the initial money was a daunting prospect. In an effort to help fellow homeowners handle those costs, he found a way for the city to make the conversion easier -- by using municipal bonds to build up the capital costs of converting homes to solar power.
"Despite California's reputation for all things green, less than 0.5 percent of homes in the state have photovoltaic systems. Berkeley's greenhouse gas-reduction program is, in large part, aimed at encouraging the city's homeowners to put solar panels on their roofs. Because DeVries was in charge of spearheading the initiative, he says, 'I thought I should walk the walk: I thought I should get solar on my own house.'
But when he knuckled down to the task, DeVries came face-to-face with the high cost of going green. 'The bids came in, and I couldn't pull the trigger for all the same reasons that people everywhere aren't pulling the trigger,' he says. 'Which is, 'Oh my lord, that's a big check.''"
FULL STORY: Solar System

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.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)