Can downtown Los Angeles' problem with homelessness on skid row be solved by the same principles that changed the image of Times Square?
"...[R]epresentatives from downtown Los Angeles' business, law enforcement, political and community service organizations, walked the streets of New York this week, looking for answers to the skid row riddle.
They found New York's example to be both inspiring and daunting.
...New York famously cleaned up Times Square in the 1990s. More than $1 billion has been poured into the area for shelters, housing and cleanup. Times Square saw a 68% decrease in crime between 1992 and 2005. Once a cluster of sex shows and run-down buildings, it is now a bustling city center and tourist destination. The biggest problem now facing local business owners is congestion.
FULL STORY: A Polished Big Apple Gives L.A. Ideas

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

Vehicle-related Deaths Drop 29% in Richmond, VA
The seventh year of the city's Vision Zero strategy also cut the number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes by half.

As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.

US Rents Squeezing Low-Income Tenants
Despite a recent — and slowing — apartment construction boom, renters at the lower end of the income scale are still struggling to find housing.

Tech Tools Help Tenants Push Back Against Problematic Landlords
Shelterforce found more than a dozen examples of tenant-serving technology that help renters identify landlords, respond to eviction, fight back against housing discrimination, and more.

More Apartments Are Being Built in Less-Dense Areas
Rising housing costs in urban cores and a demand for rental housing is driving more multifamily development to exurbs and small metros.
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
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)