Protests and violence have erupted in China's rural areas, where many of the country's poorest people struggle to find jobs. The government has pledged to improve spending to help provide for the rural poor and improve access to public services.
"China's government continues to make some effort to address the root causes of rural discontent. Most recently, it has announced increases in spending on rural healthcare and education, as well as plans to expand the rural social insurance and welfare systems. However, significant challenges remain. Central government spending on rural development continues to fall short, with local governments expected to provide most of the funds for public services in the countryside. Also, the actual implementation of policies promulgated in Beijing depends crucially on the co-operation of local governments, which are often complicit in the land seizures and corruption that fuel rural protests."
"China's top leaders, some of whom have served in China's less-developed western provinces, continue to push reforms aimed at addressing the root causes of rural social unrest. In early March the ministry of finance announced that central government spending on healthcare would rise by 90%, while education spending would rise by 40%. At the current session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislative body, in Beijing, the central government announced it would spend Rmb392bn (US$50.6bn) on rural development, an increase of Rmb52bn over 2006 and of Rmb94bn over 2005."
"The central government funds will be used to expand China's social-welfare system, which aims to establish a minimum living allowance for the rural poor, and the rural co-operative medical system. To reduce discontent produced by lay-offs from state-owned enterprises, the government also plans reforms to its unemployment insurance and work-related injury compensation schemes. Land-use conversion regulations have also been tightened in an effort to reduce unrest provoked by unfair seizures of land."
FULL STORY: Rural unrest in China

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

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

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

‘Displaced By Design:’ Report Spotlights Gentrification in Black Neighborhoods
A new report finds that roughly 15 percent of U.S. neighborhoods have been impacted by housing cost increases and displacement.

Nevada and Utah Groups Oppose Public Land Sell-Off Plan
A set of last-minute amendments to the budget reconciliation bill open up over half a million acres of federally managed land to sales.

More Than a Park: A Safe Haven for Generations in LA’s Chinatown
Alpine Recreation Center serves as a vital cultural and community hub in Los Angeles' Chinatown, offering a safe, welcoming space for generations of Chinese American residents to gather, connect, and thrive amidst rapid urban change.
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.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions