St. Louis’ Mosaic Project offers an example of how U.S. cities can welcome foreign talent and benefit from their skills.

How do you connect a city’s resources to the new talented people looking to locate or grow their businesses? The Brookings Institute has looked at a few different cities trying to do just that.
They started with the example of the Mosaic Project, a Saint Louis an initiative which engages in a number of different projects to grow and start businesses, including mentoring programs, support groups, and resources specifically aimed at helping immigrant talent. "The Mosaic Project was initially sparked by a concern that, relative to peer cities, St. Louis had a lower share of the skilled foreign talent that can fuel innovation and make a region attractive to global firms," Rachel Barker, Marek Gootman, and Max Bouchet report for Brookings.
FULL STORY: Welcoming communities make for globally competitive city-regions

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

New Atlanta Law Requires ‘Cool Roofs’
Painting roofs with reflective coatings can significantly reduce indoor temperatures and improve energy efficiency, sometimes at a lower cost than traditional roof treatments.

MTA Poised to Break Ridership, On-Time Service Records
New York City’s transit system saw strong increases in ridership and improvements in service quality in the first half of 2025.

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie