Can SODA, or 'Stay Out of Drug Areas' zones reduce drug deals and improve neighborhoods?
"Enforced in the early '90s, the zones were a way of booting suspected dealers from drug-burdened swaths of the city, even if a suspect had not been convicted of a crime or done anything suspicious. Someone could be picked up simply for standing at a bus stop in the wrong place... But the zones and the unwieldy paperwork they generated were hard to manage. Public defenders and social service agencies decried the loss of freedom for clients. Some of the judges who issued the orders were lukewarm to the concept. Some replaced "Stay out" with the mushier "Don't loiter," while others issued so many exceptions -- allowing a suspect to go to work or see a lawyer -- that the order became unenforceable.
The 20 or so zones, whose numbers and locations are being finalized, include most of downtown Seattle and cover about half the city, Kimerer said. The department declined to release a working map."
Thanks to Chris Steins
FULL STORY: Seattle will again try zoning out drug deals
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
California Grid Runs on 100% Renewable Energy for Over 9 Hours
The state’s energy grid was entirely powered by clean energy for some portion of the day on 37 out of the last 45 days.
New Forecasting Tool Aims to Reduce Heat-Related Deaths
Two federal agencies launched a new, easy-to-use, color-coded heat warning system that combines meteorological and medical risk factors.
AI Traffic Management Comes to Dallas-Fort Worth
Several Texas cities are using an AI-powered platform called NoTraffic to help manage traffic signals to increase safety and improve traffic flow.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.