A movement is afoot to make schools more than just places to store kids for eight hours a day. Planning Director Gail Goldberg and child advocate Yolie Flores Aguilar are helping lead the way in Los Angeles.
"If we do not plan for schools to be the joint-use centers of our neighborhoods now, we will be forced to address it later and to retrofit later. We do not have the luxury of single-use buildings that do not take advantage of all of their potential. It's not just about land; it's also about the roles these facilities play in enhancing the health of our communities."
"The challenge for all of us is to make certain that when new schools are being built they are being built with the understanding that even if we do not have the joint uses together right now, in the future they will become joint-use facilities simply out of necessity."
"I don't know anyone who doesn't have a vision of what it would look like if schools were pulsating places in the community. The most important conversation is how to coordinate across all stages of education, because it starts very early in life, but it continues through a child's educational experience."
Thanks to josh Stephens
FULL STORY: Planners and Child Advocates Agree: Smart Planning Should Promote Neighborhood-Centered Schools

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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