Another cautionary tale of a planning commissioner that went too far during the social upheaval of the coronavirus pandemic, and has since been removed from their civic position.
Judith Prieve reports on a controversy surrounding a planning commissioner in the city of Antioch, California that resulted in the ouster of a planning commissioner who made controversial remarks about the effects of Covid-19 on high-risk residents.
"At a special meeting [recently], the Antioch City Council unanimously removed Ken Turnage from the planning commission for declaring on social media that nature should 'take its course' as the coronavirus kills the weak, the old and the homeless," reports Prieve.
In the special hearing, Turnage stood by those remarks, and some of the numerous calls and 92 emailed public comments expressed support for Turnage's opinions on the matter. A statement by Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Joy Motts, however, said that Turnage's comments had done too much damage to members of the community to remain on the commission.
Antioch is located on the fringe of the East San Francisco Bay Area, not too far from Vallejo, where another planning commissioner resigned from that city's planning commission in April after throwing a cat and drinking a beer during an online commission hearing.
FULL STORY: East Bay council ousts planner who said let coronavirus take the weak, old and homeless
Equity and 'Righting Past Wrongs' to Start the 2021 National Planning Conference
The American Planning Association's 2021 National Planning Conference started streaming this morning, with an obvious focus on equity and the historical role of the planning profession in perpetuating systemic racism.
Pre-Existing Conditions
Vital urbanism and a prescription for the post-pandemic city.
Light at the End of the Tunnel Reveals the Work to Come
The latest edition of an ongoing compendia of articles trying to make sense of the deep uncertainties of the pandemic—and what it all means for the future of cities.
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.
In These Cities, Most New Housing is Under 441 Square Feet
With loosened restrictions on “micro-housing,” tiny units now make up as much as 66% of newly constructed housing.
Albuquerque’s Microtransit: A Planner’s Answer to Food Access Gaps
New microtransit vans in Albuquerque aim to close food access gaps by linking low-income areas to grocery stores, cutting travel times by 30 percent and offering planners a scalable model for equity-focused transit.
This City Will Pay You to Meet Your Neighbors
A North Kansas City grant program offers up to $400 for residents to throw neighborhood block parties.
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)