Train fans rejoice.

Dan Malouf offers a sneak peak at the new Purple Line light rail trains that will eventually operate in Maryland.
While the trains will operate in Prince George's and Montgomery counties in Maryland, the trains are being assembled in Elmira, New York.
The access to the assembly line in the factory comes from the official Purple Line Twitter account.
Assembly of the #PurpleLine Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) has begun in Elmira, NY! Each 5-segment #LRV is 140 feet long, ADA compliant & includes on-board storage for bicycles. Final assembly will take place in Prince George’s County #PurpleLineMD #LightRail #CAF #MDOTscenes pic.twitter.com/05dp8lb5kY
— Purple Line (@PurpleLineMD) January 28, 2019
So far in 2019 the news about the Purple Line hasn't been so productive. Construction delays and lawsuits made the news in January.
FULL STORY: A beautiful sight: Purple Line trains inside their New York factory

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

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

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie