Tips on how to keep projects from getting 86'd by getting smarter than Maxwell Smart.
A rollicking look at NIMBYism as seen through the metaphor of the Get Smart TV show.
"Mel Brooks, writer for Get Smart, assigned the character Maxwell Smart the title of Agent 86. The 86 comes from the saying 'to eighty-six something.' Meaning, everything that Agent 86 engaged turned into a disaster. The rise of the NIMBY industry in America has seen countless real estate projects get 86'd."
"One of the show's recurring gags was the Cone of Silence. Max would insist on following CONTROL's security protocols (notice & hearing); when in the Chief's office he would insist on speaking under the Cone of Silence -- two transparent plastic hemispheres, which were electrically lowered on top of Max and the Chief -- which invariably malfunctioned, requiring the characters to shout loudly in order to be understand one another.
The Cone of Silence can no longer keep the lid on development in the community. Land use professionals who try to keep their projects close to the vest are foolishly underestimating their opponents and usually empowering community grapevines."
Thanks to Cristina Smith
FULL STORY: Principal Broker Online

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

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

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service