In Celebration, FL, myriad rules ensure the vision of New Urbanism by governing the appearance of lawns, homes, and even the color of curtains.
A ride into this central Florida community begins at a quaint water tower, continues along white fencing reminiscent of Kentucky horse country and ends at a pristine lake in the middle of town. The water tower is fake, the fence is made of hollow plastic and the lake is manmade....
In Celebration, messiness is prevented by myriad rules that seem to cover any contingency.The appearance of homes and lawns, alone, are governed by a 70-page pattern book.Among the rules: Curtains that face the street must be white or off-white. The color of a home, unless its white, cant be duplicated within three homes on the same side of the street. At least a quarter of the front and side gardens must have something besides grass."
Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan
FULL STORY: Disney town sets urban trend

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure
If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.

End Human Sacrifices to the Demanding Gods of Automobile Dependency and Sprawl
The U.S. has much higher traffic fatality rates than peer countries due to automobile dependency and sprawl. Better planning can reduce these human sacrifices.

Seattle Transit Asked to Clarify Pet Policy
A major dog park near a new light rail stop is prompting calls to update and clarify rules for bringing pets on Seattle-area transit systems.

Oregon Bill Would End Bans on Manufactured Housing
The bill would prevent new developments from prohibiting mobile homes and modular housing.

Nashville Doesn’t Renew Bike Share Contract, Citing Lost Federal Funding
The city’s bike share system, operated by BCycle, could stop operating if the city doesn’t find a new source of funding.
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.
Tyler Technologies
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions