A new growth management law in Florida is both good news and bad news, says Jane Healy of the Orlando Sentinel.
"Florida's controversial new law to manage growth offers both the good and the bad - plus a chance for local elected officials to come to the rescue by taking things into their own hands.
The good: The new law, signed last week by Gov. Charlie Crist, actually has the right intentions. For the first time ever, developers will have economic and bureaucratic incentives to build in the urban areas and stay away from the rural ones. It has been far more expensive to build in urban areas because land costs more and, as a result, so do the roads that developers must provide.
The bad: If you thought the Florida Legislature couldn't leave well enough alone when it comes to managing growth, you're right once again. The law allows way too much land to be considered "urban." An area has to have a population of only 1,000 people per square mile to qualify for the benefits of the law. And those benefits are huge. They allow building to proceed even if the roads aren't in place to accommodate it. But an area that is truly urban has far more than 1,000 people per square mile; it has at least 7,000 people per square mile."
FULL STORY: New growth law offers big possibilities, and big dangers

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

Opinion: California’s SB 79 Would Improve Housing Affordability and Transit Access
A proposed bill would legalize transit-oriented development statewide.

Record Temperatures Prompt Push for Environmental Justice Bills
Nevada legislators are proposing laws that would mandate heat mitigation measures to protect residents from the impacts of extreme heat.

Downtown Pittsburgh Set to Gain 1,300 New Housing Units
Pittsburgh’s office buildings, many of which date back to the early 20th century, are prime candidates for conversion to housing.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service