Innovation means different things to different people. For Bridges to Prosperity (B2P), a nonprofit that builds footbridges in the developing world, it’s a way to help people thrive despite limited resources.

By encouraging volunteers to think creatively and incorporating successful ideas into its standard plans, B2P continually improves its ability to help people in remote areas access healthcare, education, and jobs. Learning from failure According to Alex McNeill, B2P’s program manager for Nicaragua, this approach goes back to the organization’s earliest days. “Our founder was reading in the National Geographic about a community in Ethiopia that undertook a dangerous river crossing every day,” he said. “He was an engineer and got some of his friends together, and they went down there and came up with a solution.” Three months later, a new steel bridge was in place.
FULL STORY: With resources scarce, bridge-builders cultivate creativity

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.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean
Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?

Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US
A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
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