A pioneering architect in Newcastle, U.K. tries to open planning to the people with a new "urban room" for community engagement.

"What if negotiating the planning system were as easy as popping to the shops?"
That's the question posed by Oliver Wainwright to open an article about an innovative new planning approach underway in Newcastle, in the U.K., where architect Terry Farrell is leading a "crusade" to give the public more control over the development outcomes in the city.
Sir Terry Farrell faults the opaque nature of the planning system for creating needless complications for the public. "To that end, his government-commissioned Farrell review of architecture and the built environment, published in 2014, advocated the idea of 'urban rooms': places on the high street where people could go to view and discuss the latest development proposals," report Wainwright.
To generate some proof of the concept, Farrell is donating the funds to Newcastle University to create just such a place by converting "an old department store into a centre to debate the future of the Tyneside city."
The article includes a history of planning in Newcastle (the 'Brasilia of the North,' according to Farrell), and discusses the potential for the outcomes of this experiment in civic activism.
FULL STORY: ‘An experiment in civic activism’: could Newcastle transform city planning?

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

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

Santa Clara County Dedicates Over $28M to Affordable Housing
The county is funding over 600 new affordable housing units via revenue from a 2016 bond measure.

Why a Failed ‘Smart City’ Is Still Relevant
A Google-backed proposal to turn an underused section of Toronto waterfront into a tech hub holds relevant lessons about privacy and data.

When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing
Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions