"It is ridiculous that in New York City dancing is just as illegal as it was in the fictional movie Footloose," says Councilmember Rafael Espinal of New York City's cabaret law.

Aaron Elstein reports on a possible legislative demise for New York City's cabaret law, which was enacted "in 1926, during the Harlem Renaissance, to prevent white and black people from dancing together."
"Over the years the law has been used to close clubs and bars deemed objectionable, especially during Mayor Rudy Giuliani's tenure in the 1990s," according to Elstein. "Today opponents say it is used to crack down on do-it-yourself clubs…" Of the city's 25,000 restaurants ad bars, only about 100 have a cabaret license.
The law is the target of a lawsuit by bar owner and attorney Andrew Muchmore, who believes the law violates the First Amendment. While political leadership has supported a repeal of the law in the past, Muchmore believes the lawsuit will end the law with or without the City Council.
FULL STORY: City Council moves to repeal racist cabaret law

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.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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