The recent World Urban Forum in Brazil attracted media from around the world, but surprisingly few from the U.S. But as Neal Peirce writes, that doesn't mean the U.S. government wasn't involved.
The U.S. sent a large delegation to the meetings in Rio de Janeiro, and officials met with leaders from other international cities to discuss the mutual problems and challenges they face as urbanization increases.
"Running as a constant theme in Rio was the idea of according all peoples - even the poorest - a fundamental 'right to the city' including basic services from clean water to education to transportation along with secure land tenure, even in favela-like settlements.
One can imagine supercilious journalists, or advocates of hard American military power, dismissing such city-to-city, nation-to-nation learning efforts as social frills, irrelevant to maintaining the United States' global ascendancy.
But worldwide exchanges and learning of the best city practices could be the best national security steps imaginable. They start with the cooperative promise of building constructive relationships as a less arrogant America."
FULL STORY: Obama Crew ‘Gets’ World Urban Ties — But Not Our Media

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

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

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont