Los Angeles' Lafayette Square is a model of civility in a city of grittiness. And it's not your average gated community.
"Lafayette Square is bounded on three sides by Crenshaw, Venice and Washington boulevards, streets that otherwise epitomize city life in all its gritty, 21st century glory. The neighborhood's single auto entrance is off Crenshaw, protected only by a traffic light. Residents, mainly upper-middle-class African Americans, defend the gates as a legitimate way of protecting their children and their homes, and insist that there's nothing elitist about them, no matter what the outside world thinks."
Thanks to Chris Steins
FULL STORY: An Island of Stability in a City of Impermanence

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.

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

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

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.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie