Is the new Blue Back Square development an attempt to create a livable center in West Harford, or just another 'mall without a roof'?
"No, they will not tear up a golf course, destroy a forest or build a Wal-Mart anchored in a sea of parking....They will not contribute to sprawl by building out. They will build up....They'll use real bricks, real granite, real windows to build real buildings made to last 100 years, not 20." However, many residents are wary of the new urbanist Blue Back Square development, raising concerns over the potential loss of heritage in what currently lies in West Hartford Center. However, one of the developers commented that "...it [Blue Back Square] will make West Hartford more of a real place, not less, as West Hartford Center sometimes feels a bit like Disneyland." Peter Marcuse of Columbia University commented: "The architecture may invoke old-fashioned village life, but new urbanism developers too often create an exclusive, upper-middle-class enclave....These are often gentrified, sanitized versions of city life....And very often that's the appeal."
Thanks to Connie Chung
FULL STORY: Blue Back Square

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.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

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

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
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