The Cultural Space Agency, proposed in Seattle, would be a new type of public development authority, a city agency with a mission to preserve and create arts and culture in the face of gentrification.

Margo Vansynghel reports on an effort in Seattle to combat cultural displacement and gentrification by creating a 'mission-driven' real estate development company to "create, purchase, manage and lease property for arts and cultural spaces."
The arts and cultural spaces created by the new "Cultural Space Agency" could include galleries, bookstores, nonprofit dance companies, and cultural community centers," according to Vansynghel. "The new entity would likely also develop and manage a new 'Creative Economy Hub' on the second floor of the city-owned King Street Station."
If granted final approval from Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and the Seattle City Council, the Cultural Space Authority will be governed as a public development authority (PDA), also known as a public corporation, according to Vansynghel. "The Office of Arts & Culture is dedicating $1 million to fund the startup costs for the next two years, $500,000 of which is earmarked in the 2021 budget currently in deliberation, and will add money to that pot through capital campaigns and philanthropy."
The article also includes some historical perspective on the move for the city to create a PDA—usually PDAs are reserved in Washington State for the preservation of historic areas, like Pioneer Square and the Chinatown-International District in Seattle.
"With the move, the city is following in the footsteps of King County, which established the 4Culture agency in late 2002 in reaction to the post-9/11 economic recession and funding cuts at King County’s arts offices," according to Vansynghel.
FULL STORY: City launches real estate company to save and create Seattle art spaces

Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.

Car Noise Is Killing Us
It’s not just traffic collisions that kill—a new study from researcher at Rutgers finds that the loud noises emanating from cars has direct impact on heart health in Americans.

Acceptable Deaths
What can we learn from our Covid response?

Fare-Free Transit Hasn’t Reduced Car Trips, Data Says
Fare-free transit isn’t the climate change benefit that many have hoped, according to recent writing by David Zipper for Bloomberg.

Redevelopment Threatens Iconic, Affordable Chicago Homes
The ‘workers’ cottages’ are being replaced with larger, more expensive homes, threatening one of the city’s original forms of affordable housing.

Six-Story Parking Lot Nixed From D.C. Union Station Renovation Plans
The Federal Railroad Administration has removed a six-story parking facility included in a 2020 draft Environmental Impact Statement for a $10 billion renovation of Union Station in Washington, D.C.
City of Malibu
EMC Planning Group Inc.
Jefferson Parish
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
City of Lakeway, Texas
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.