A massive $1.1 billion plan to develop residential and retail uses on land adjacent to the University of Southern California's South L.A. campus was halted by a committee of the Los Angeles City Council this week over concerns about displacement.
USC's plan to revamp a faded shopping center near its campus in South Los Angeles into student housing and retail space was met with protests this week at a Los Angeles City Council land-use committee hearing, reports
Although many speakers at the hearing voiced overall support for the project, which has been nine years in the making, Saillant notes that "representatives of UNIDAD, a coalition
of community, labor and faith groups, told the panel that they believed
that USC students would continue to live in nearby off-campus units and
the school was not offering enough money to make up for the loss of that
low-income housing."
"USC disputes that the project would displace anyone," writes Saillant. "One study showed
that the project would have the opposite effect, returning to the
community 900 privately-owned off-campus housing units now leased by
students."
"After listening to three hours of debate, the Planning and Land Use
Management Committee asked for more information about how other major
universities have handled community concerns during major upgrades -
including fears that low-income residents could be displaced."
FULL STORY: L.A. panel puts hold on $1.1-billion makeover of land near USC

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.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont