Urban sprawl's impact on school funding is more of a smart growth issue than is commonly realized.
"The most important -- though largely overlooked -- smart growth debate in the country the past year hasn't focused on smart growth or urban sprawl. It's about public schools and taxes... A vicious cycle is created. Drawn by better schools further out, better-off families in central cities and inner-ring suburbs often leave, draining the local tax base. School funding drops, followed by property values. Another neighborhood is abandoned by the middle class."
Thanks to Chris Steins
FULL STORY: Smart Growth and Schools

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.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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