A modification in tax law fifty years ago completely altered a well planned concept to create vibrant urban centers.
There is a tendency in America to "wax nostalgic for the traditional downtown," but traffic and single-use zoning have long since precluded the creation of vibrant mixed-use urban centers. Fifty years ago, Victor Gruen designed a "fully enclosed, introverted, multitiered, double-anchor-tenant shopping complex with a garden court under a skylight" as a response to the chaos of American suburbia. Malls teach us, he once said, that its the merchants who will save our urban civilization. Planning isnt a dirty word to them; good planning means good business. Gruen thought of the mall as "the centerpiece of a carefully planned new downtown." But then the economics of land development changed the picture.
Thanks to Zvi Leve
FULL STORY: The Terrazzo Jungle

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.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

The French Solution to Congested Tunnels: Make Them Car-Free
Bay Area transportation officials keep expanding car capacity. Lyon’s Croix Rousse Tunnel offers a different way.

Missouri Governor Reverses Anti-Discrimination Housing Policies
A new state law bars cities from prohibiting source-of-income discrimination against tenants using Section 8 housing vouchers.

USDOT Launches Unfunded 'SAFE ROADS' Program
The program targets “distractions” and “political messages or artwork,” and paves the way for autonomous vehicles.
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.
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