Draft regulations under consideration in Anchorage "would prohibit building large cellphone towers next to homes in dense urban settings."
"The draft regulations encourage 'small-cell' technologies, or low-powered wireless base stations that can be mounted to light poles and typically help boost coverage in high-use areas like stadiums or malls."
"Other proposed changes include reducing the separation distance required between a cellphone tower and the nearest home. Current city law requires a separation distance equal to 200 percent of the height of the tower, but phone companies can get around that through loopholes. The new regulations are designed to close that loophole, officials said, through new guidelines for minimum separation distances. They would also set a maximum height of 65 feet for a tower in a residential district."
"Since they were released in mid-November, the draft regulations have gotten mixed reviews. Community activists said they’d like to see clearer definitions for certain types of towers and more ways for neighbors to weigh in on projects near their homes."
FULL STORY: Anchorage weighs new rules on cell towers in neighborhoods

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

The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

In More Metros Than You’d Think, Suburbs are Now More Expensive Than the City
If you're moving to the burbs to save on square footage, data shows you should think again.

The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and "harrowing" close calls are a growing reality.

The Small South Asian Republic Going all in on EVs
Thanks to one simple policy change less than five years ago, 65% of new cars in this Himalayan country are now electric.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)