New high-rises are begun almost daily as displacement, housing and property rights remain large concerns.
China is experiencing a nationwide boom in the construction industry, providing hundreds of thousands of jobs, and displacing thousands of residents whose homes stand in the way of new high-rises. "More than 100,000 urban dwellers in Beijing have been displaced by massive projects." Property rights laws remain "primitive...property carries a 70-year lease rather than outright ownership. Land remains owned by the state...On Sept. 25, an unemployed 35-year-old Beijing man set himself afire in protest when his family was forced out of their home by redevelopment." Corruption and controversy abound as the country prepares for the 2008 Olympics.
Thanks to David Gest
FULL STORY: Construction boom gives Beijing a gleaming new look

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

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?
TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.

Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events
Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”

Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan
The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
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Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
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Municipality of Princeton (NJ)