Exeter, California, may lie off the beaten path and be little-known outside the southern San Joaquin Valley. But its thriving, spotless downtown would be the envy of most cities.
"Exeter has long been a preferred place to live in the citrus and cattle country near the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. These days, downtown Exeter throbs with local energy as people fill sidewalks, shops, offices, restaurants and gathering places. Storefront vacancies are rare, and litter even rarer."
"In recent years, city boosters have started a mural program that has really taken off, and the arts have become a larger presence in downtown."
"How has this small farm town in a remote location done it? Aggressive planning, maintaining high standards for development and civic pride, says the longtime city planner."
FULL STORY: Downtown Exeter: True Small-Town Atmosphere

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

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?
TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.

Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events
Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”

Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan
The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.
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