In looking to adopt some of the radical approaches employed in London to handle homelessness, Canadian cities like Toronto are courting controversy.
Using a program known as the Rough Sleepers Unit--teams of helpers to get people off the street--between 1997 and 2002, London's homeless problem was all but eliminated. Since 2003, however, authorities have been using an anti-social-behavior ordinace (originally intended to deal with the behavior of 'drunks and and idle yong men') to target the more visible effects of homelessness: begging, wandering aimlessly, shouting, and sleeping in public places.As Toronto looks to blend aspects of both programs, critics charge that criminalizing behavior will be costly and do little to address the underlying problem.
Thanks to Eric Arzola
Read the full story: Britain's radical take on homelessness
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
Idaho may see an 18% drop in federal surface transit funding — the largest estimated cut in the US
Transit systems in rural communities are much more reliant on federal funding to provide their services.
How ‘post-disaster gentrification’ alters neighborhoods after natural calamities
After hurricanes, fires or other calamities, the original residents of a community are often replaced by younger, wealthier residents.
Maryland local governments examine if they should have more power to raise property taxes
Maryland’s housing market is out of reach for the majority of moderate-income residents.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello