Shaun Donovan wants HUD to catalyze shifts in American urban planning, one community at a time. A look at the optimistic HUD secretary, who has been given the task of fixing the housing market—and making over a broken government agency.
"He wants to give consumers as much information about future utility bills as they could learn about a car's fuel efficiency. He's teaming up with Energy Secretary Steven Chu to figure out how residential carbon emissions--which account for a fifth of such output in the U.S.--can be curbed. Still, he says, carbon bigfoots need not fret. 'This isn't about the federal government telling people how to live.'
For now, his ambitious designs will have to wait.
As the new HUD chieftain, Donovan is at the center of the government's efforts to revive the ailing housing market. Working with fellow technocrat Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and other regulators, he helped shape the president's recently launched $275 billion mortgage plan to curb foreclosures. Unlike his predecessors, Donovan has a seat at frequent White House economic round tables alongside Geithner and economic guru Larry Summers."
FULL STORY: Can This Man Fix The Housing Market?

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.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
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Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
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