For 21 years this urban St. Nick has been delighting visitors to the South Street Seaport in New York.
A true New Yorker, this Santa takes the subway to work, and lives in a rent controlled apartment. He has greeted politicians and children alike, and has been doing so for over 2 decades, making him one of the longest-running Santas at any one location in the city. He is 83 years old and one of his friends, a local shopkeeper once told him "Please. I know you as Santa, and you are my Santa, and I don't want to know you as anything else. "
Thanks to Ken Firestone
FULL STORY: After 21 Years at the South Street Seaport, Still Believing in Santa Claus
Manhattan Preservation Groups Block New Development—On a ‘Historic’ Parking Lot
A judge ruled against a decision by the Landmarks Preservation Commission to approve a 324-tower in the South Street Seaport Historic District, highlighting the tensions in a city facing a dearth of affordable housing.
Aging NYC Subway Cars No Match for Extreme Heat
The MTA receives thousands of complaints about broken air conditioning on subway cars each summer.
NYC Congestion Pricing: Still Working
10 million fewer vehicles entered the congestion pricing zone in the first six months of the program than last year, while pedestrian fatalities are at ‘historic lows.’
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?
Car Designs Make it Harder to See Pedestrians
Blind spots created by thicker pillars built to withstand rollover crashes are creating dangerous conditions for people outside vehicles.
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.
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.
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