Built in 1925, the Winthrop Hotel was the place to stay when visiting Tacoma - then hard times fell in 1972 and the building was converted over to low-income (Section 8) housing.
"Take away the layers of dirt and decay and it's easy to imagine the space becoming yet another triumph of downtown Tacoma's rebirth - a neglected civic treasure reclaimed for well-heeled urban hipsters.But beneath that drafty, vacant penthouse there are nearly 200 studio and one-bedroom apartments, spaces occupied for the last 30 years by low-income residents who stayed in the city during its darkest of days.That's the crux of a dilemma that surfaced last month when the Winthrop's owners decided to put the building up for sale: Is it better to hope for a buyer willing to bring back the building to its former glory, or one who will preserve the space for affordable housing?"
Thanks to Morgan Alexander
FULL STORY: Some say hotel can be put to better use than for affordable housing

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

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

Trump Approves Futuristic Automated Texas-Mexico Cargo Corridor
The project could remove tens of thousands of commercial trucks from roadways.

Austin's First Single Stair Apartment Building is Officially Underway
Eliminating the requirement for two staircases in multi-story residential buildings lets developers use smaller lots and more flexible designs to create denser housing.

Atlanta Bus System Redesign Will Nearly Triple Access
MARTA's Next Gen Bus Network will retool over 100 bus routes, expand frequent service.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)