A new government-sponsored watchdog website will allow citizens to track stimulus-funded projects. It's an effort to insure accountability. Neal Pierce wonders if that accountability will translate into smarter patterns of development.
"In the battle against bad projects, bad practices or bureaucratic delay, governors and mayors know they'll be on the hot spot to deliver a quality performance when dealing with the billions of dollars in the Obama administration stimulus projects."
"Indeed, the president has warned the mayors that if they don't spend the stimulus funds wisely, he'd 'call them out' and 'put a stop' to projects. 'The American people are watching,' Obama said. 'They need this plan to work. They expect to see (their money) spent in its intended purposes without waste, without inefficiency, without fraud.'"
"But is all this accountability and public disclosure–as great as it sounds–enough to assure we get not just 2 or 3 million new jobs, but maximum long-term benefit from this massive stimulus bill?"
"Governors and their staffs need to heed what President Obama himself told a town hall meeting in Florida earlier this month: 'The days when we're just building sprawl forever, those days are over.' The meaning's clear: aim for more compact development."
"And they should note there's a new day dawning locally–that more than 900 mayors have signed the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, pledging their cities to reduce their carbon emissions to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. It will be a goal tough to meet if sprawl continues to be subsidized."
FULL STORY: Stimulus Controls Vital, But What About Results?

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?

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents
The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing
Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive
Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.
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