Similar to a proposal being pushed by Arizona legislators, an economist in Minnesota has cautioned the state over providing too many subsidies and tax incentives to big retailers.
"An economist from the Federal Reserve Bank in Minneapolis told the state House Tax Committee that the best economic policy is to keep taxes low for all businesses and to refuse preferential tax treatment for a few."
"'It should raise red flags to legislators when businesses are coming to you for subsidies,' economist Art Rolnick said."
"The Mall of America is asking Bloomington and the state for $222 million in tax subsidies to help finance a $1.8 billion expansion. In return, mall representatives predicted the project would create 7,000 construction jobs and 10,000 permanent jobs and would generate $53.8 million a year in new state taxes."
"The economist warned that granting tax breaks to a few big projects would shift tax burdens onto smaller businesses and encourage other private firms to seek public subsidies."
FULL STORY: Economist urges state to reject subsidies

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?

Car Designs Make it Harder to See Pedestrians
Blind spots created by thicker pillars built to withstand rollover crashes are creating dangerous conditions for people outside vehicles.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie