An extremely problematic encounter occurred last week when a black planner was accosted by security while taking photos of bike racks on the street outside of a luxury building.
"Senior government transit planner and longtime Oakland resident Kenya Wheeler says he ended up in a tense confrontation outside of a new luxury apartment building near Broadway and Webster, seemingly just by walking down the street," reports Adam Brinklow.
"Wheeler contributed to Oakland’s Broadway Valdez district plan, only to now end up accosted in the very same neighborhood," adds Brinklow.
Wheeler, who is black, documented the encounter, which included one of the security guards drawing a gun, on social media. Wheeler was detained until the Oakland Police Department arrived on scene. A manager from the Alexan Webster apartment building at 2330 Webster Street has since apologized for the incident, and the security company responsible for the encounter fired.
FULL STORY: Oakland transit planner taking photos of bike racks held at gunpoint by luxury condo security

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

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

Why Should We Subsidize Public Transportation?
Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.

Understanding Road Diets
An explainer from Momentum highlights the advantages of reducing vehicle lanes in favor of more bike, transit, and pedestrian infrastructure.

New California Law Regulates Warehouse Pollution
A new law tightens building and emissions regulations for large distribution warehouses to mitigate air pollution and traffic in surrounding communities.

Phoenix Announces Opening Date for Light Rail Extension
The South Central extension will connect South Phoenix to downtown and other major hubs starting on June 7.
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service