A columnist attributes the success of President-elect Trump's anti-Muslim rhetoric with a rise in potentially illegal land use decisions around the state of Virginia.

Petula Dvorak writes a column for The Washington Post calling out the bigotry inherent to recent regulatory and legal frameworks of the planning profession.
"Sewage lines, traffic patterns and zoning ordinances. Meet the instruments of bigotry in America today," writes Dvorak.
Dvorak cites three recent examples of racism on display in recent planning and land use controversies in the state of Virginia—"cases where development regulations and mundane municipal laws have been used to smokescreen surging Islamophobia."
According to Dvorak, the episodes of racist opposition to Muslims are new to these communities, places like Spotsylvania County, Culpeper, and Nokesville.
FULL STORY: A smokescreen for bigotry: Disguising anti-Muslim bias with land-use objections

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?

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents
The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing
Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive
Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.
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