Small city public officials in the Sacramento area are using public money to support a bid to turn an unincorporated plot of land into a new city -- a move they hope will help to distribute regional planning power more equitably to smaller towns.
"Suburban Sacramento cities have given at least $50,000 to the committee working to turn 13 square miles of unincorporated Sacramento County into the city of Arden Arcade."
"Beyond contributing out of good will, some suburban city leaders say adding new cities within the county strengthens all of their hands when skirmishes arise with the region's dominant players."
"'Sacramento city and Sacramento County do dominate the local politics. I have friends down there -- they are good people -- but the decisions they make are not always the best decisions for Citrus Heights,' said Citrus Heights Mayor Jeff Slowey."
"Regional boards dealing with air, water, waste, flood control, libraries, and transit issues are composed of elected leaders from throughout the region. The power once held by Sacramento city and county leaders has been watered down as new cities have been formed and the boards expanded."
FULL STORY: Cityhood aid questioned

Good Planning Under Bad Leadership
Planners must sometimes work under bad leadership. Here are suggestions for responsive planning in challenging political environments.

Legendary Parking Guru Donald Shoup Dies at 86
Urbanists are mourning the loss of a dynamic voice for parking reform and walkable cities.

Amtrak Cascades Line Breaks Ridership Record
The route linking Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC served nearly one million riders in 2024.

Over 71K Office-to-Apartment Units in the Pipeline for 2025
Adaptive reuse projects are continuing to bring thousands of new housing units onto the market as demand for office space remains low.

How Houston Can Be a Model for Housing Reform
The city builds more new housing than almost any other and has dramatically reduced homelessness, yet low-income families struggle to find affordable housing.

Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
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 Brookings
City of White Salmon
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service