In a new video game, the player is a no-good raccoon wreaking havoc on the world around him.

Ben Esposito’s new video game, Donut County, is an allegory about gentrification. A raccoon named BK lives to “meet the locals, steal their trash, and throw them in a hole.” But, as Liz Ohanesian explains, that is only until he finds himself on the other side:
When BK and his friend Mira are also swallowed by the hole, they end up at an underground campfire, confronted by those whose lives the raccoon has ruined. One by one, the displaced tell their tales as they try to make BK realize that he’s a douchebag with no regard for anything more than his own material gain.
Esposito developed the game after living in Brooklyn and then Los Angeles and realizing his own role in displacing people. He is BK, a representation of the high-income tech worker moving in and forever changing a neighborhood.
The goal of the game is to get BK to understand the consequences of taking over everything in sight along with his raccoon buddies, led by the Trash King. Ultimately, says Esposito, Donut County is about how technology and money perpetuate and magnify the gentrification of cities.
FULL STORY: This New Video Game Is an Allegory for Gentrification in L.A.

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

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.

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.”

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.

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.

California Homeless Arrests, Citations Spike After Ruling
An investigation reveals that anti-homeless actions increased up to 500% after Grants Pass v. Johnson — even in cities claiming no policy change.
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)