Cautiously at first, grant program steps toward big investment shift to "Cool Cities."
Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm is attempting through her new Cool City Pilot Program to do the same thing in Michigan that Maryland Governor Parris Glendening did in 1997 when he passed the state Smart Growth Act. The Maryland planning and public investment law redirected much of the states budget for roads, schools, public works and buildings, housing, and other new construction back toward urban centers. Mr. Glendenings program helped Maryland achieve one of the highest levels of economic growth of any state in the nation while conserving thousands of acres of farmland and forest and strengthening economic development in Baltimore. Mr. Glendening, by the way, easily won a second term.
Thanks to Keith Schneider
FULL STORY: Granholm's Urban Therapy

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.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean
Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?

Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US
A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.
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Planning for Universal Design
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Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
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