At Census time, America's prisoners have typically been counted as residents of the places they are imprisoned. But with nearly 1% of the U.S. population behind bars, where they're counted is counting more to the urban areas they came from.
"Counting prisoners where they're incarcerated didn't matter a lot when America had modest numbers of inmates, usually held in institutions near their homes.
But all that's changed in the last three decades as America's prisoner counts have soared from about 500,000 in 1980 to 2.3 million today. The combination of tough 'law-and-order' politics and development of a vast 'prison industrial complex' has led to confinement of predominantly city-based convicts in hundreds of new prisons in small town areas."
Now some counties with prisoner populations of up to 20% are gaining more congressional representation and federal funding. Neal Pierce takes a look at the problem and how some officials are trying to find a solution.
Read the full story: How the Census Counts Prisoners: Significant Political Stakes
Rural Washington's Infrastructure Wishlist
Rural Washington communities want to see federal infrastructure funding allocated to projects in the historically neglected eastern parts of the state.
Census Undercount Will Have Long-Lasting Repercussions
An undercount is likely this year, particularly in communities that are traditionally underrepresented. As a result, cities will not have access to crucial federal funds over the next decade.
For Urban Poor, Enumeration Equals Inclusion
Marcus Tudehope offers 12 reasons why community-led counting and mapping of the urban poor can be an effective tool for putting "power and democracy" into their hands.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.
Trump is considering data centers on 6 states' public land — some state officials say they had no idea
If the administration approves the proposed projects, data center and data center-related developments will cover 17,600 acres of public land.
California may destroy its beaches trying to save homes from El Niño
Boulders and seawalls can protect homes from waves, but ultimately destroy sandy beaches.
California high-speed rail accomplishes only one legislative goal in 2026
The majority of the agency's failed pitches were never developed into written proposals.
Sharp cuts to federal passenger rail, public transit funding arrive today
The American Public Transportation Associations estimates the stopgap bill will result in an over 80% cut to federal passenger rail investment and 20% cut to public transit investment.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello