After 34 years on the California Coastal Commission, Peter Douglas is ceding his post due to poor health. The San Jose Mercury News looks back at his long career at the powerful public agency.
Paul Rogers reports:
"There is still no one more closely identified with California's struggle to preserve wild stretches of coastline and ensure public access to beaches -- and nobody who has drawn more ire from developers and private land owners.
"You could probably count on one hand the number of people whose work has singularly changed the face of California. And he is one of those people," said John Laird, California's secretary of natural resources, comparing Douglas to Sierra Club founder John Muir."
FULL STORY: Peter Douglas, longtime champion of the coast, hands over power

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
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Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
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Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie