Social Service Centers work to fill the lack of social safety nets in suburban areas of Chicago.
"Simon Bolivar Center for Human Rights offers immigrants in Elgin, as well as in Streamwood, Carpentersville and Geneva, who are far from the social safety nets of Chicago, a rare beacon of hope....Similar centers to Simon Bolivar...are cropping up as more and more immigrants, mostly from Mexico, bypass Chicago and move directly into the suburbs. The number of Latinos living in the state outside of Cook County climbed 118 percent to 458,522 in 2000 from 210,252 in 1990, according to U.S. Census figures....Noting the moderate success of places like Simon Bolivar, advocates in Chicago are training others to open more suburban centers. Earlier this year, the Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities...trained 43 people from cities such as Melrose Park, Rolling Meadows, Aurora, Elgin and Mt. Prospect. Once a week for six weeks, the volunteers learned public policy, zoning ordinances, how to work with elected officials and how to detect rental properties that are discriminating against minorities...."
Thanks to Connie Chung
FULL STORY: Suburban centers emerge to aid Latinos

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

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions