The Philadelphia City Paper chronicles unprecedented enthusiasm for filling the lowest level elected positions in the city, answering questions about how the upcoming election could have a big impact on local politics.
"There's a big push on to get Philadelphians to run for committee seats, the lowest-level elected positions in the city. There are 6,724 of these unpaid slots (two Democrat and two Republican in each 'division'), and at any given time, many are vacant.
The efforts to get people like you to run are really part of an initiative to transform the city's political landscape. And it's not entirely a pipe dream. To get on the ballot for the May primary, all you need to do is turn in a petition with 10 signatures before Tuesday. Interested? Well, Mr. Candidate, here are the answers to all your questions..."
"Committeepeople elect and communicate with ward leaders, who form the political parties' City Committees. The committees endorse candidates and, in the case of the Democratic City Committee, effectively decide who will serve as judges and councilmembers in Philadelphia."
FULL STORY: Ward Cleaving

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.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

Trump Approves Futuristic Automated Texas-Mexico Cargo Corridor
The project could remove tens of thousands of commercial trucks from roadways.

Austin's First Single Stair Apartment Building is Officially Underway
Eliminating the requirement for two staircases in multi-story residential buildings lets developers use smaller lots and more flexible designs to create denser housing.

Atlanta Bus System Redesign Will Nearly Triple Access
MARTA's Next Gen Bus Network will retool over 100 bus routes, expand frequent service.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)