One of Chicago architect Daniel Burnham's lesser-known achievements was a rethinking of the National Mall, bringing ideas- like a reflecting pool- from his designs for the Columbian Exhibition of 1893.
"When Barack Obama takes the oath of office Tuesday, he'll look down the National Mall (left) and toward an echo of a historic landscape that once stood not far from his house on Chicago's South Side: The World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, called "the White City" (below) for its spectacular ensemble of temporary, Beaux-Arts buildings
The fair, masterminded by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham, was a milestone in the history of urban planning, as well as a reaction to the soot-covered, "Gray City" of skyscrapers that had just arisen in the Loop and drawn criticism for blotting out the sky and clogging streets with traffic
Around a watery basin, Burnham and his fellow planners drew together large, low-slung exposition halls that shared a common height and classical vocabulary. Flanking one end of the basin was a domed administration building. Rising out of the other end was a colossal gilded statue, "The Republic," meant to symbolize national unity.
If that now-vanished tableau and its dazzling combination of architecture, water features and sculpture sounds like the portion of the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, it is no coincidence."
FULL STORY: How Chicago landscape inspired D.C

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