An opportunity missed in Detroit.

Kat Stafford addresses the elephant in the room during last week's Democratic primary debate:
Detroit — the largest African American majority city in America — is home to a microcosm of systemic issues facing cities across the nation: Poverty, crime, struggling educational systems, a lack of affordable housing and long-term disinvestment, to name a few.
Yet, it and other cities like it, were tossed on a back burner while candidates traded barbs and debated at length the minutia of each other's health care proposals.
Stafford argues that the lack of focus on issues that hit a little closer to home to the residents of the traditionally Democratic stronghold of Detroit represents a missed opportunity. An advocate cited in the article says Democrats must focus on urban issues to rally voters.
A separate article by Alissa Walker also discusses the conspicuous absence of substantive urban policy discussion in the debates so far, noting that only one candidate spent any time at all discussing the housing affordability crisis: former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro.
FULL STORY: Democratic debates put a national spotlight on Detroit. But candidates ignored its issues.

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

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.

Demise of Entertainment Industry Mirrors Demise of Housing in LA
Making movies has a lot in common with developing real estate: producers = developers; screenwriters = architects; directors = general contractors. The similarities are more than trivial. Both industries are now hurting in L.A.

How Public Spaces Exclude Teen Girls
Adolescent girls face unique challenges and concerns when navigating public spaces. We can design cities with their needs in mind.

Proposed Ohio Budget Preserves Housing Trust Fund
The Senate-approved budget also creates two new programs aimed at encouraging housing construction.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)