The Build Back Better agenda is in retreat—including much of the substance on a plan to spend $330 billion to tackle the nation's housing affordability crisis.

Negotiations over the federal budget reconciliation bill, which includes several components of critical importance to the planning field, such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, took a turn at the end of October.
Jersulem Demsas reports on how the budget bill has transformed the Biden administration's Build Back Better agenda—a key promise of the Biden campaign during the election and a frequent talking point in the White House as the Covid-19 pandemic has lingered. Demsas describes the evolution of the Build Back Better in dire terms:
This package was both a once-in-a-generation investment and also barely enough to scratch the surface. Now, even those proposed investments are being cut down as part of negotiations over the final package.
More concerning, according to the article, is the bill's avoidance of the root of the problem. To elaborate this point, Demsas interviews Paul Williams, a fellow at the Jain Family Institute, for details of the new, adjusted Build Back Better plan regarding issues like the Housing Trust Fund, down payment assistance, exclusionary zoning reform, and more.
A planning-specific component of Build Back Better, the "Housing Supply and Affordability Act," is still in the reconciliation bill, according to Tweets by the Planners' Advocacy Network of the American Planning Association. Williams, however, doubts the grant program is substantial enough to "swing the pendulum for a lot of jurisdictions, particularly those with some of the most egregious policies."
FULL STORY: Congress isn’t going to save the housing market

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research