Urban planning departments are experiencing a revival in cities across the nation. Governing Magazine profiles Andy Altman as a model of the 'new planner.'
"The significance of planning's comeback extends far beyond one city, or one metro area. Altman has emerged on the scene in Washington just as a new generation of big-city planners is enjoying a surge of political support. Planning is gaining stature in New York and Chicago, which find themselves managing population growth after years of fighting decline. Planning directors in those cities are in the enviable if contentious position of guiding neighborhoods through their first wave of gentrification and growth in decades... Modern-day public planners are a vulnerable breed, one that bears no resemblance to the power brokers of the mid-20th century, the ones such as New York's Robert Moses, who cultivated their own impregnable sources of revenue as well as their own bases of political power. Today, planners can succeed only with the support of the mayors they work for. They don't have the luxury of indulging in academic discussions about the future of cities; what they need to focus on is maneuvering their way through the touchy local politics that surround nearly every development issue."
Thanks to Laura Kranz
FULL STORY: The Return Of The Planner
Seattle Legalizes Co-Living
A new state law requires all Washington cities to allow co-living facilities in areas zoned for multifamily housing.
Central Florida’s SunRail Plans Major Expansion
The expanded train line will connect more destinations to the international airport and other important destinations.
Las Vegas Golf Course to Become Over 1,000 Units of Affordable Housing
The project is part of an initiative to build affordable housing on shuttered golf courses.
Plugging the Gap: Taxpayers Shoulder the Burden of Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells
Taxpayers, federal agencies, and tribal governments are working to address Arizona's orphaned oil and gas wells, which pose environmental and health risks, while advocates call for greater accountability from oil and gas companies.
Future Floods in Focus: Using AI and Physics to Visualize Disaster Risks
MIT researchers have developed a groundbreaking AI-powered tool that integrates physics-based models to generate realistic satellite images of future flooding, offering communities a powerful way to visualize and prepare for disasters.
Milwaukee Interstate Removal Would Create Space for Thousands of New Housing Units
A proposal to replace the elevated Interstate 794 with a boulevard could create over a billion dollars in new development along the corridor.
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.
Los Alamos County
City of Culver City
Skagit Transit
American Planning Association, Sustainable Communities Division
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Cambridge, Maryland
Newport County Development Council: Connect Greater Newport
Rockdale County Board of Commissioners