The president of the National Housing Institute looks at how community development is portrayed on the silver screen, and how it affects the work of urban planners.
John Atlas briefly looks at four films--"Duplex," "Pacific Heights," "Wolfen" and "The Sunshine State," and comments on Hollywood's simplified and gross depictions of complex issues that housing, development and planning professionals address, including real estate speculation, housing evictions and gentrification. The exception, according to Atlas, is John Sayles' "The Sunshine State." He writes: "Intelligent movies about housing and communities are few and far between, even though these are topics that touch the lives of most people....We need more directors like Sayles who know how to entertain and challenge audiences to consider a range of viewpoints about community development."
Thanks to Connie Chung
FULL STORY: What the Movies Miss About Community Development

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.

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.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie