City manager of Phoenix Frank Fairbanks talks about how the city created a program to advise residents on how to effectively and creatively reuse old buildings.
"Here at City Hall, we're well aware of the challenges that small businesses face when trying to remodel an existing building into a new use. It can be quite difficult to update a building and improve a site from decades past into a contemporary use that meets current development codes. Time and again, we encountered small-business owners who had invested time and financial resources into buying or leasing older or historic buildings, only to discover that the buildings they selected could not easily be converted to their intended purpose without adding substantial costs and time to the project. We wanted to find ways to help these small-business owners realize their vision and achieve success in the neighborhoods they'd chosen. By studying best practices and consulting with small business owners, artists, cultural, neighborhood and community organizations, we developed an adaptive reuse pilot program for downtown-area buildings that were up to 2,500 square feet in size and at least 25 years of age."
FULL STORY: New Lives for Old Buildings

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.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower
A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.

Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”
The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.
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
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont