Municipal officials and staff in Anchorage, Alaska, are hard at work drafting an updated land use plan that incorporates modern planning principles in the city's vision for development.

Anchorage Press reporter Zach Fields writes:
People who move to Anchorage are often shocked by how ugly and poorly planned the city is, in stark contrast to its surroundings. After decades of non-existent and then poor planning, the municipality finally is embarking on a comprehensive planning effort to rationalize development and strengthen the city's potential for economic growth. It can’t come soon enough: As low oil prices drain the state budget, Anchorage’s economic vitality will become increasingly reliant on attracting skilled professionals who want to live here because of the region’s unique amenities. Local business leaders are emphasizing that this is the new economic development paradigm: Attract people with good quality of life, and business will follow. Good urban quality of life is impossible without good urban planning and good urban design.
FULL STORY: Urban Planning for Anchorage?

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

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

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City
The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.

Washington State Legislature Passes Parking Reform Bill
A bill that would limit parking requirements for new developments is headed to the governor’s desk.

Missouri Law Would Ban Protections for Housing Voucher Users
A state law seeks to overturn source-of-income discrimination bans passed by several Missouri cities.
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