After years of decline, some Pittsburgh neighborhoods are beginning to see an uptick in popularity, so the city is seeking to protect the existence of affordable housing.

For decades, Pittsburgh has been a city more associated with decline than gentrification, but the city's Lawrenceville neighborhood has seen that tide turn. "It’d already been named a world-class 'hipster neighborhood' in 2014, and home prices have tripled there over the past 15 years," Malcolm Burnley writes in a story for Next City. To make sure that Pittsburgh has the affordable housing in changing times, a group of citizens is coming together to create a community land trust.
A community land trust, or CLT, is a tool used to slow down the forces that push residents out of gentrifying neighborhoods. "Essentially, CLTs are community-controlled nonprofits that acquire parcels of land — either through municipal land banks or other inexpensive means — and maintain them at an affordable price for people in the neighborhood, such as families looking to rent or buy homes at below-market-rate prices, in perpetuity," Brunley explains. While this is the first CLT in Pittsburgh, there are already "250 communities nationwide have a CLT," the article tells us.
FULL STORY: Pittsburgh Ready to Launch City’s First Community Land Trust

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

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

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

In These Cities, Most New Housing is Under 441 Square Feet
With loosened restrictions on “micro-housing,” tiny units now make up as much as 66% of newly constructed housing.

Albuquerque’s Microtransit: A Planner’s Answer to Food Access Gaps
New microtransit vans in Albuquerque aim to close food access gaps by linking low-income areas to grocery stores, cutting travel times by 30 percent and offering planners a scalable model for equity-focused transit.

This City Will Pay You to Meet Your Neighbors
A North Kansas City grant program offers up to $400 for residents to throw neighborhood block parties.
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)