To combat a rash of incivility and outright criminal acts, three Business Improvement Area directors argue that Seattle needs to commit more law enforcement resources to business districts.

Following a public safety forum hosted by several Seattle Business Improvement Areas (BIAs), Erin Goodman, Lisa Howard, and Michael Stewart say the street crime situation in Seattle business districts is getting worse. They point to employees and customers who've encountered "aggressive and threatening behavior from people suffering from mental health and addiction, property damage, theft, human waste, discarded needles and drug dealing."
"We believe the city of Seattle has confused 'decriminalizing homelessness' with tolerating criminal acts," they write. "Whether [perpetrators] are homeless is not the issue. People are committing criminal acts, and because the city will not arrest or prosecute, there are no consequences and the problem is growing worse."
The BIA directors suggest placing more beat cops on the streets of business districts, removing illegal encampments, increasing the availability of mental health and addiction services, and focusing on crime to "arrest and prosecute those people engaging in criminal activities regardless of their housing status."
FULL STORY: City of Seattle’s inertia on street crime is intolerable

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

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

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

Santa Clara County Dedicates Over $28M to Affordable Housing
The county is funding over 600 new affordable housing units via revenue from a 2016 bond measure.

Why a Failed ‘Smart City’ Is Still Relevant
A Google-backed proposal to turn an underused section of Toronto waterfront into a tech hub holds relevant lessons about privacy and data.

When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing
Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions