In an unprecedented ruling in New York, the state Department of Labor deemed two Uber drivers employees of the company.

"In what labor advocates are calling a landmark victory, two former drivers for Uber in New York have been determined to be employees of the company and therefore eligible for unemployment insurance benefits," according to an article by Matthew Flamm.
The ruling resolved a lawsuit by the New York Taxi Workers Alliance against the New York Department of Labor "to force the state agency to rule on the [unemployment] claims" filed by two drivers. The Department of Labor had previously taken no action on the claims.
As for the implications of the ruling, "advocates believe that the decisions open the door to a more widespread reclassification," which "could dramatically raise costs for the companies and reshape their competition with taxis."
FULL STORY: Uber setback: Two drivers are deemed employees, not independent contractors

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?

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.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
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