Boston's history of planning has been a drama of skulduggery.
The Boston Herald features a story on the history of planning in Boston -- when Charles Bulfinch was America's first architect and Harrison Gray Otis was the biggest developer in town."[Otis] amassed a fortune by doing what the best developers have always done - he saw opportunities before anyone else, had the capital through a network of associates to get the projects built and added great value to both the public and private realm by getting Bulfinch to lay out the streets and design the buildings.Bulfinch not only had a genius for urban planning long before it became a profession, but his buildings like the State House, influenced by English neoclassicists, brought European city sophistication to a colonial town, where provincial-looking houses and shops were built of wood."
Thanks to Chris Steins
FULL STORY: The beginning of Boston's growth: Bulfinch-Otis alliance crafted town into city

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

USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure
If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.

End Human Sacrifices to the Demanding Gods of Automobile Dependency and Sprawl
The U.S. has much higher traffic fatality rates than peer countries due to automobile dependency and sprawl. Better planning can reduce these human sacrifices.

Seattle Transit Asked to Clarify Pet Policy
A major dog park near a new light rail stop is prompting calls to update and clarify rules for bringing pets on Seattle-area transit systems.

Oregon Bill Would End Bans on Manufactured Housing
The bill would prevent new developments from prohibiting mobile homes and modular housing.

Nashville Doesn’t Renew Bike Share Contract, Citing Lost Federal Funding
The city’s bike share system, operated by BCycle, could stop operating if the city doesn’t find a new source of funding.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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Planning for Universal Design
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