Yes, there will be jobs, and safety has improved since downtown revitalization efforts began over a decade ago. But Pico-Union residents are feeling routinely excluded--and shortchanged--when it comes to decisionmaking.
Writes Kate Linthicum: "[Resident Victor] Citrin moved here three decades ago and spent years fixing up an old hotel on 11th Street. He built living quarters inside, and outside, a garden.
Many mornings he sits there watching hummingbirds play. He'd rather his view didn't also include a large, shimmering Coca-Cola bottle - a multi-story LED billboard on the west side of the Ritz-Carlton that he calls "obscene."
He's alarmed that a draft deal approved by the City Council calls for more bright signage: more than 40 billboards on the publicly owned Convention Center. AEG and the city should have gotten more community input, he says."
FULL STORY: Los Angeles stadium plan draws mixed reaction in downtown's shadow

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?

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents
The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing
Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive
Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.
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