Though the war on poverty launched by President Lyndon B. Johnson has improved the lives of low-income Americans in many ways, poverty remains a persistent problem. Republicans and Democrats disagree over the solutions to the enduring challenge.
"To many Americans, the war on poverty declared 50 years ago by President Lyndon B. Johnson has largely failed," writes Annie Lowrey. "The poverty rate has fallen only to 15 percent from 19 percent in two generations, and 46 million Americans live in households where the government considers their income scarcely adequate."
"But looked at a different way, the federal government has succeeded in preventing the poverty rate from climbing far higher," she adds. With lower infant mortality, higher college completion rates, millions of women now working, and malnutrition mostly eliminated, living conditions for low-income Americans have greatly improved over the last 50 years.
"Half a century after Mr. Johnson’s now-famed State of the Union address, the debate over the government’s role in creating opportunity and ending deprivation has flared anew, with inequality as acute as it was in the Roaring Twenties and the ranks of the poor and near-poor at record highs."
An accompanying interactive map depicts the poverty rates in every census tract across the United States.
FULL STORY: 50 Years Later, War on Poverty Is a Mixed Bag

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie