A county in Central Romania has expressed interest in purchasing the castle used by the 15th Century medieval ruler who inspired the tale of "Dracula" -- seeing the castle as an opportunity to increase tourism in the Eastern European country.
"Brasov County Council, in central Romania, was in talks with a foreign bank on a 10-year loan for that amount to get back the castle from its owners, who were living abroad, Aristotel Cancescu, president of the municipality, said recently."
"'We want to get involved in getting back the castle and running it because it would be a very good opportunity to further develop tourism,' Cancescu said."
"The Romanian central government in Bucharest has the first right to buy the castle, according to the country's legislation. Should it decline, the local council can make an offer, according to Lia Trandafir, a partner at the Bucharest-based law firm that represents the owners."
"Trandafir confirmed that the owners wanted €60m. She said any buyer was required by law to keep the castle as a museum for three years after the purchase."
FULL STORY: Romanian county seeks to buy Dracula’s €60m castle

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
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?

Portland Raises Parking Fees to Pay for Street Maintenance
The city is struggling to bridge a massive budget gap at the Bureau of Transportation, which largely depleted its reserves during the Civd-19 pandemic.

Spokane Mayor Introduces Housing Reforms Package
Mayor Lisa Brown’s proposals include deferring or waiving some development fees to encourage more affordable housing development.

Houston Mayor Kills Another Bike Lane
The mayor rejected a proposed bike lane in the Montrose district in keeping with his pledge to maintain car lanes.
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.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont