The 700,000 acre monument would protect threatened species and important historic and cultural sites.

A proposed national monument in the Southern California desert would span close to 700,000 acres just south of Joshua Tree National Park, reports Monserrat Solis for the Press-Enterprise. “The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument — named for the lizard found in the Sonoran and Mojave Desert and northwestern Mexico — would need a presidential order or a vote by Congress to become reality.”
Supporters of the proposal, which is backed by organizations including the California Wilderness Coalition and the CactusToCloud Institute, say the monument would be “a resource for the community” and protect historic and cultural sites as well as wilderness and wildlife. “Separate from the monument, the campaign also seeks to add about 20,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land southeast of Joshua Tree in Riverside County to the national park. It would be open for development, mining or road construction and was once used for small-scale mining.”
Unlike national parks, national monuments can be created by executive order under the Antiquities Act of 1906. A blog post from the National park Service explains that while “national parks are created for educational, inspirational and recreational purposes,” national monuments are generally preserved for their historic or scientific value.
The campaign for the new monument now needs to gain support from its local congressional representative.
FULL STORY: Joshua Tree National Park could get new neighbor — a national monument

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