Some homeowners are using their backyards as habitat for wildlife, providing food, water, shelter and a place to rear offspring for a variety of creatures.
"Snug in his three-story treehouse of a home during a thunderstorm, Evan Earle Jr. talked about the benefits of a yard with native Florida vegetation and very little grass."
"Earle, 47, is not the only one who enjoys his landscape. He shares it at times with raccoons, opossums, cardinals, a red-shouldered hawk, ospreys, blue jays, mockingbirds, hummingbirds, squirrels, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies and more.
Recently the National Wildlife Federation recognized Earle's yard as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. Earle joins the ranks of about 180 other Pinellas homeowners with certified yards."
FULL STORY: Wildlife Welcome Here

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Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

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

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Car Designs Make it Harder to See Pedestrians
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Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie