Michael Dudley

Attempts to eliminate all visible traces of Islamic influence from the design and nomenclature of the Park51 project contributes to the de-legitimization of Islam in America, writes Aisha Ghani.

Public libraries are being relied on more than ever to assist Americans struggling with the economic crisis, even as they themselves are under threat, writes Neal Peirce.

Across the U.S., proposals for new mosques (such as for one in Murfreesboro, Tennessee) are meeting with hostile opposition, leading to worries over an ugly shift in public perception of Muslims.

Salon interviews author J.C. Hallman about his new book "In Utopia," which explores modern-day utopian projects and how they differ from those of the past.

<span><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->As planners, we are accustomed to (and expect) some types of urban development proposals to attract controversy. Whether the opposition is to new roads, higher-density housing or undesirable land uses such as industries or prisons, such controversies are becoming far more common as environmental, economic and social issues become more pronounced and widely understood. In most cases, we generally assume that we can make use of a suite of engagement strategies to engage stakeholders and try to resolve typical development conflicts. </span>