The city plans to install temporary housing and facilities as part of its efforts to reduce homelessness and help people move into permanent housing.

The city of Austin has chosen two potential sites for temporary encampments as "part of implementing the mandates of a May City Council resolution that specifies steps and deadlines for its Housing-Focused Homeless Encampment Assistance Link initiative," such as calling for the City Manager to "identify publicly-owned land or land within the city limits owned by other intergovernmental entities or willing community partners that could accommodate tiny home structures to serve as temporary housing" and present a budget for implementation.
As Cindy Widner writes, "the sites would need to be rezoned prior to the installation of temporary, prefab microshelters, which—along with fencing and round-the-clock security—the city apparently plans to provide." The city-owned locations were chosen based on their proximity to Capital Metro routes, the availability of utilities, and other factors. "According to a memo from Dianna Grey, the city's homeless strategy officer, and Parks and Recreation Department Director Kimberly McNeeley, 'Both properties are owned by the City of Austin, are being held for future creation of affordable housing, and could be used temporarily until that development takes place.'"
FULL STORY: City considers two sites for sanctioned encampments

Say Goodbye to the ‘Millennial Lifestyle Subsidy’
The era of cheap, on-demand services is coming to a close as unprofitable startups face the realities of capitalism.

Judge Blocks Minneapolis 2040 Implementation, Citing Lack of Environmental Review
Environmentalists have used the power of the legal system to protect the car-centric status quo of single-family zoning once again, overturning a landmark planning innovation in Minneapolis.

How Houston Is Eliminating Chronic Homelessness
Taking a comprehensive ‘Housing First’ approach, the city of Houston has cut homelessness by 63 percent in the last decade.

The Return of San Francisco’s Privately Owned Public Spaces
In San Francisco, you can find respite from city life in some unexpected places—if you know where to look.

Advocates Hope the Next Texas Freeway Widening Won’t Be the Like the Previous
Community Design Fort Worth, a nonprofit collective of planners and designers, is pushing the Texas Department of Transportation to do something revolutionary with its plans to widen Interstate 30.

New York City Approves Rent Hikes on Rent-Stabilized Apartments
The rent increases, which the Rent Guidelines Board deemed necessary to support “mom and pop” landlords, will affect two million residents.
Rundell Ernstberger Associates
City of Racine
Town of Atoka
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
Gallatin County, Montana
West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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.