Provo, UT City Council approves $39.5 million to build citywide fiber-optic system.
After five years of research and preparation, and an epic public meeting, Provo city council members voted 6-1 to approve financing and construction of a citywide fiber-optic network. The network, which would carry video, cable TV, internet, phone services and more, would be built by the city, which would then lease bandwidth to private companies to provide content. Residents in a test area received 139 cable channels and 5 Mbit downloads, for about half the cost of lower-quality service from the private provider Comcast. Bandwidth will also be reserved for traffic coordination, emergency services, and public schools. Some residents and leaders worried that the price tag, $39.5 million, would come out of taxpayers' pockets. However, only one third of residents need to sigh up for the service for the city to break even, and if more residents sign up, the extra revenue will go into the city's general fund. In a test of the system serving 250 homes, 50% of residents subscribed despite little advertising.
Thanks to Peter Christensen
FULL STORY: iProvo foe will now embrace the service

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.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Massachusetts Budget Helps Close MBTA Budget Gap
The budget signed by Gov. Maura Healey includes $470 million in MBTA funding for the next fiscal year.

Milwaukee Launches Vision Zero Plan
Seven years after the city signed its Complete Streets Policy, the city is doubling down on its efforts to eliminate traffic deaths.

Portland Raises Parking Fees to Pay for Street Maintenance
The city is struggling to bridge a massive budget gap at the Bureau of Transportation, which largely depleted its reserves during the Civd-19 pandemic.
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.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont