Every American city wants to improve its schools. Although few communities are satisfied with the progress they are making, there are some signs of encouragement.
Smart City Radio show host Carol Coletta talks with Terry Mazany and Paru Shah about the latest trends in improving urban schools.
Terry Mazany is CEO of The Chicago Community Trust where he led a $50 million, five-year commitment to school improvement in Chicago. Prior to coming to the Trust, he was a school district leader in Michigan and California. Researchers at Rice University have been studying some paths to improvement, including school takeovers by mayors, and Melissa Marschall and Paru Shah are with us to tell us what they found.
Listen live on the Web Saturdays at 8 a.m central and Sundays at noon central. Or listen to archived shows online anytime.
FULL STORY: How to Improve Public Schools

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

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?
Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.

The EV “Charging Divide” Plaguing Rural America
With “the deck stacked” against rural areas, will the great electric American road trip ever be a reality?

Judge Halts Brooklyn Bike Lane Removal
Lawyers must prove the city was not acting “arbitrarily, capriciously, and illegally” in ordering the hasty removal.

Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?
With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.
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.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)