The design for the planned city of Columbia, Maryland continues to influence new developments around the world.

James Rouse's vision for a model planned community, where people of different races live side-by-side, continues to inspire planners despite failing to live up to the high expectations of its builders and supporters. Doug Miller writing for Howard Magazine (via The Baltimore Sun), notes that almost 60 years on, the city of Columbia, Maryland continues to prosper even as the pressures of sprawling development, big box retail, and a middling mass transit system have hindered some of the early optimism for a new way of living.
“It was a terrific counter-measure to suburbia, something was desperately needed,” {architect Ralph Bennett] says, noting that his family has owned land in Howard County since 1954, though none that was included in Rouse’s voluminous purchases in advance of Columbia’s construction.
...
Rouse made a persuasive argument that the planned city would be far less costly to the county than standard suburban development and that tax revenue generated in Columbia offset the additional county expenditures necessitated by the booming population.
“Large lots and scattered developments increase the cost of providing many services,” including garbage collection, police, school buses water and sewer, Rouse’s primer on the Columbia project read.
Miller writes that while planned communities haven't taken off in the United States as much as some had hoped, they are seeing a resurgence in rapidly developing countries including China and India.
FULL STORY: Planned cities have gone out of style, but Columbia still influences urban design

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