The hotel industry has experienced an unprecedented drop in demand; but when conditions improve, they should do so with a vengeance.
"The hospitality industry hasn't been in just a downturn over the past three years, its getting hammered by the perfect storm, and much more,' says John J. DePaul, president and CEO of the Melrose Hotel Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Berwind Property Group, Ltd., of Philadelphia, which owns and manages four big-city hotels in the United States. 'First, starting in mid-2001, hoteliers faced a downturn in business travel, and hence lower occupancy and room rates. Then, the industry endured the near collapse of travel following 9/11 in 2001, and subsequent anthrax scares through the rest of the year. Then, it was hit by events before, during, and after the war in Iraq, including SARS. Finally,' he notes, 'with the national economy still struggling in the near term, the industry faces continuing uncertainty for the rest of 2003, pushing average room rates to 1996 levels.' "
Thanks to Urban Land Magazine
FULL STORY: The Perfect Storm

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.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

LA’s Tree Emergency Goes Beyond Vandalism
After a vandal destroyed dozens of downtown LA trees, Mayor Karen Bass vowed to replace them. Days later, she slashed the city’s tree budget.

Sacramento Leads Nation With Bus-Mounted Bike Lane Enforcement Cameras
The city is the first to use its bus-mounted traffic enforcement system to cite drivers who park or drive in bike lanes.

Seattle Voters Approve Social Housing Referendum
Voters approved a corporate tax to fund the city’s housing authority despite an opposition campaign funded by Amazon and Microsoft.
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.
Ada County Highway District
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
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