Planners face the increasing challenge of how to improve economic opportunities for individuals while simultaneously improving urban neighborhoods without triggering gentrification.
Within the toolbox that planners have at their disposal, there are multiple options available to improve the physical environment. However, as the growing recognition of economic inequality shows, planners have fewer tools to improve the lives of individual citizens. Bill Fulton writes in Governing that planners "can’t do the one thing that would most improve residents’ lives: put money in their pockets."
"In large part, the answer boils down to the old people-versus-place question in urban policy: Do you focus on improving struggling neighborhoods in the hopes that everyone in the neighborhood will be better off? Or do you focus on helping people get a leg up, even if it means they leave the neighborhood?"
The challenge for planners, Fulton writes, is to seek the right balance between improving neighborhoods and improving the lives of its residents. Evidence shows that poorer residents living among more affluent neighbors will have better economic livelihoods, but moving more affluent residents into poorer neighborhoods can trigger gentrification, which will ultimately displace those who could benefit most.
FULL STORY: To Help Poor Neighborhoods, Urban Planners Have to Do More Than Urban Planning

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