Redeveloping the slums of Rio de Janeiro has been on the city's agenda for decades. Despite the many challenges, some new efforts seem to be paying off.
"Sao Paulo government resettled 120 poor families to at the outskirts of the city in 1971. And unexpectedly this area fast became a colony of migrant persons. More and more wooden houses form a 100-square-meter slum with 125,000 living there. Since 2005, the Sao Paulo government has invested 135 million Real (about 76.7 million US dollars) to reconstruct the district.
They built municipal infrastructures, public schools and hospitals. Some roads are even paved with asphalt. Around 1,700 low-cost houses benefited many poor families. The mayor of Sao Paulo Gilberto Kassab said 'this district is no longer a slum but a well-organized city community.'"
And as the city prepares to host the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics, officials at the local and federal level are hoping to make big strides in reducing extreme poverty in this and other urban areas within the decade.
FULL STORY: Brazil struggles to transform slums into new communities

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

San Francisco Muni Raises Fares a Second Time
A 10–cent fare hike for adults is part of the agency’s plan to chip away at a growing budget deficit.

Electric Grid Capacity Could Hamstring EV Growth
Industry leaders say the U.S. electric grid is unprepared for the increased demand for power created by electric cars, data centers, and electric homes.

Texas Bill Supports Adaptive Reuse in Commercial Areas
Senate Bill 840, which was preliminarily approved by the state House, would allow residential construction in areas previously zoned for offices and commercial uses.
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions