In a battle over contracts to build green roofs for Chicago's public buildings, landscapers have come out on top.
"The rulings 'hopefully will put an end to the roofers' efforts to claim the installation of vegetative green roof systems for its members,' said Ken Jenero, an employment lawyer at Holland & Knight who represents the Moore and Pedersen landscape companies.
But the controversy is far from settled, said Joe McDevitt, chairman of the Chicagoland Roofing Council, a group of union-affiliated contractor firms. He said there are several issues, including liability, that are important to building owners but are not addressed by the NLRB [National Labor Relations Board]'s rulings.
'If a leak in the roof develops after the landscaping is installed and it's not installed by a roofer, who does the owner turn to?' McDevitt said. 'It's one of many complicated issues involving green roofs.'"
FULL STORY: Green days for landscapers in roofing labor fight

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?

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie