Some real estate agents are winning new clients by showing up for property showings on their bicycles.
"With gas prices up, air quality down and saving the planet on everyone's mind, [real estate] agents across Canada and in the United States are scrapping cars, long considered a business necessity, to bike, walk and use public transit. And some are finding it's paying off as they fill a green niche with environmentally concerned clients.
Many clients gravitate to [cycling agents]...because they are similarly motivated. And cycling, [one agent] found, lends itself to selling houses. 'I can meet people at a house or we can bike together...It really is better to see a neighbourhood on a bike. You can assess the ambient atmosphere. You can smell the freshly cut grass in a park, and see if the residents smile at you.'
At open houses in Vancouver...bikes will often be piled up in front as would-be buyers check out the property....Some agents say this is a case of the real-estate industry catching up to the lifestyles of urban house hunters."
FULL STORY: Riding out the housing market

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?

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.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
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