NYC has purchased 7 acres of Coney Island from a developer, with the hopes of breathing new life into the People's Playground.
"'I think the city made a good choice in buying the land in order to the area along the boardwalk for amusements forever,' said Dennis Vourderis, who family runs the only amusement park left, Dino's, and the Wonder Wheel, a city landmark. 'It won't be threatened by the development of apartments, shopping malls, or anything else. Now the question is, Who do we bring in to build this billion dollar amusement park.'"
"The Bloomberg administration has said it would not allow the site to lie fallow. It plans to find an interim operator and invest money in sprucing up the nearby Aquarium, designating up to 12 acres for amusements, renovating Steeplechase Plaza, creating a new park and installing a refurbished wooden carousel."
FULL STORY: City to Buy 7 Acres in Coney Island, Hoping to Spark a Revival

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.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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