New restaurants are striving to look like (and to be) community institutions, reflecting old-style pubs, meeting halls and marketplaces.
From Metropolis Magazine:
"Seattle's Corson Building, as much a social experiment as an eating establishment (the Web site describes it as 'a home, a restaurant, and a community'), may represent the height of the trend. The chef dishes up shared platters in a 1910 house with three communal tables and a garden and chicken coop out-side."
Writers Kristi Cameron, Belinda Lanks & Martin C. Pedersen also look at restaurants following this trend in San Francisco, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Fort Worth.
FULL STORY: Great Good Places

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