A back door plan to use eminent domain to provide additional parking for a main street shopping district creates outrage in a Chicago area community.
"Plans to buy several Forest Park, Ill. homes and businesses to expand two parking lots were put on hold this week when more than 100 residents protested the idea.
The village's main commercial district along Madison Street has transformed into a dining and shopping destination with new stores, restaurants and condominiums in recent years. With that success, parking has become premium commodity, especially in the evenings, said Joellen Charlton, a consultant hired to study the problem.
In a closed meeting in September, the Village Board decided to build surface lots rather than a parking deck because of the cost. In that meeting commissioners also discussed the need for acquiring properties for additional parking.
But when the agenda for the Nov. 13 board meeting came out, residents and some commissioners were shocked to see mention of the possible use of eminent domain to acquire those properties."
FULL STORY: Forest Park backs off idea of taking homes for parking

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

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions