AA$ measures the financial ability of a city's citizens to increase their education, start new businesses, and support urban amenities.
The AA$ benchmark calculates the amount of extra money that an average city resident has after subtracting essential costs like housing, healthcare, and food. It quantifies the degree to which a city's residents can advance their education and careers by taking risks, such as starting a business or quitting a job to go back to school.This calculation can gauge a city's "tax headroom"-the extent to which local government can increase taxes before taxpayers revolt. Thus, a city with higher AA$ will have a greater ability to raise taxes, if needed to improve schools, to lure businesses, or for creative public ventures that will create a "hip" environment and attract Richard Florida's coveted young professionals. "More AA$ in the market," Gattis says, "stimulates more companies, non-profits, and government agencies to offer more advancement and amenity options to improve the lives of individual citizens. More restaurants and museums form, more continuing education schools open, and more performing arts groups are supported."
Thanks to Tory Gattis
FULL STORY: URBAN ATTRACTION: The "Advancement and Amenity dollars" benchmark

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

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

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service