A neighborhood group in Baltimore fights out-of-town developers for city contracts to rehab houses, arguing that it does a better job of meeting the community's needs.
T.E.A.M., a neighborhood group which includes a local black market consortium of unlicenced drug dealers-turned-tradesmen, gut and refurbish Baltimore's abandoned rowhouses for under $15,000, about 1/3 of the average cost of similar programs using big name developers and government grants. They want the city to choose them for redevelopment projects instead of bringing in "carpetbaggers" who only pledge a small portion as "affordable units." T.E.A.M. rehab jobs are entirely affordable, and accomplished room by room to keep payments minimal. A member of T.E.A.M. warns that the time and energy his group has put into rehab work entitles them to not cooperate with out-of-town developers in keeping drugs and crime at bay in the neighborhood:"You put $100,000 in those places, you're gonna lose it all and get run out. You're not coming into this community. We'll just pull our hands back. The drug boys come here looking for work, we'll say [theres] no work. Any minute you'll see crack hidden behind the steps."
Thanks to Ted Leimbach

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie