While they're often treated as mere assets to be maintained or abandoned for other uses, public spaces can be an active part of cities' plans for equitable revitalization.

"In an era when people are more isolated than ever and distrust in government runs high, it's imperative that we reimagine public spaces as more than just physical assets to maintain but as platforms for equity and neighborhood revitalization," writes Akron, Ohio's mayor Dan Horrigan.
Horrigan maintains that cities should invest in the public spaces they have, rather than walk the "seductive but hollow path" of abandoning public spaces that no longer seem worth maintaining. In Akron, he writes, "we have prioritized our public spaces because the investments we make in them have a protective function in our neighborhoods."
He discusses Akron Civic Commons, a project drawing on philanthropic funds to revitalize a three-mile stretch of trail with equity and diversity in mind. According to Horrigan, "early data is showing more income diversity utilizing improved spaces, stronger belief that the neighborhood is changing for the better, and a higher percentage who feel safe in their community."
FULL STORY: Why Public Spaces Are Critical Social Infrastructure

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.

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.
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Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
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Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
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Camden Redevelopment Agency
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