Robert Sibley comments on the worldwide problem of homeless people in public spaces, and reflects on how Canadians can and should manage them.
"All communities have public spaces -- sidewalks, cycling paths, beaches, roadways and parks -- where people gather. However, if these spaces are to be gathering places they require patrons to behave in ways different from those that they may indulge in private. You behave respectfully towards others in the expectation that they will reciprocate.
Or, to put it differently, public areas constitute a shared space where prevailing standards of safety, order and decency take precedence for the sake of all. It is simply not intelligible to abandon formal social controls on behaviour -- laws against vagrancy, loitering and public drunkenness, for example -- for the sake of spurious 'rights' that are, in reality, an excuse for private indulgences. That way lies disorder.
The traditional notion that citizens are obliged to behave themselves for the sake of a greater social good was effectively abandoned in the 1960s and 1970s. In Canada, the Trudeau government rescinded vagrancy laws in 1972. Laws against vagrancy and public misbehaviour gradually surrendered to the if-it-feels-good-do-it mantra of the era."
FULL STORY: Disorder in our public spaces

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.

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.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie