Federal funds for farmland preservation go untouched while development continues to transform rural areas.
Over the past two years, nearly $2 million available to preserve Indiana farmland has gone unused. The state loses about 100,000 acres of farmland annually.
The federal funding, administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, acquires easements that limit residential or commercial development on protected farmland.
While many counties in the greater Indianapolis area have already seen the rapid conversion of farmland to development, there is still hope to preserve farms in more rural parts of the state.
Indiana does not have a state farmland preservation program in place that could help provide the required 25 percent match to qualify for the USDA funding, although there is hope to establish state support for such efforts.
Thanks to Deborah Myerson
FULL STORY: Indiana farms are in jeopardy

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