Local communities are taking the lead in energy conservation and innovation.
Without a crisis, energy policy gets little political or media attention. The nation has had difficulty sustaining a consistent energy policy, even though improved efficiency would benefit the environment and the environment is always a political hot button. Instead, energy policy seems to lurch back and forth with each new administration.That situation may be changing at least at the local level. By confronting their own energy challenges through planning and experimentation, some communities are discovering that they can both help the environment and stimulate economic development. They are finding that gains in energy efficiency can mitigate the impact of electricity blackouts, and that conservation and the use of renewable sources may help avoid battles over proposed generation and transmission facilities.
Thanks to American Planning Association
FULL STORY: Who's Got the Energy?

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.

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

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.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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