Neal Peirce reviews the wave of city-county mergers.
"Could America be ready for a wave of city-county consolidations? Until this year, it would have seemed madness to suggest so...But rub your eyes and catch what's occurring at this very moment...Bad times are the mother of necessity, driving Frostbelt regions to consider bold new steps...Merger efforts do face enormous obstacles. Will privileged suburbs react viscerally in opposition? What to do about an older center city's debts, pension liabilities and labor agreements? Will African-Americans, their numbers often concentrated within historic city limits, fear loss of electoral clout?"
Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan
FULL STORY: A Metro Merger Wave: Could It Be?

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