The contaminated soil and neglected infrastructure in Santa Ana's Barrio Logan community are a result of decades of land use decisions and willful disinvestment, one journalist writes.

Yvette Cabrera recounts the history of Barrio Logan, a predominantly Latino neighborhood in Orange County, California. Logan, known as the "Plymouth Rock of Santa Ana" for its early ties to the Mexican American community, has long experienced neglect from the city. Local activists here have banded together to fight against polluting businesses and secure safety and infrastructure improvements such as speed bumps and sidewalks.
Zoned for industrial use, Barrio Logan has experienced waves of environmental degradation and soil contamination from petroleum, heavy metals, pesticides, and other harmful substances. Yet "Residents knew little about this soil contamination, despite the city’s environmental assessments calling for a deeper exploration of potential lead exposure in the neighborhood in the late 1970s." Cabrera notes that "Comprehensive citywide soil test results were not publicly available until 2017, when I published an investigation that found hazardous levels of lead in the soil in neighborhoods across Santa Ana, which today is Orange County’s second-largest city."
Cabrera argues that Logan's degradation was a result of conscious zoning and land use decisions made throughout the last century, decisions that allowed harmful industrial businesses to build facilities adjacent to residential neighborhoods without much public disclosure. And this isn't limited to Barrio Logan. Around the country, millions of people live in areas similarly contaminated by toxic substances, unaware of the danger beneath their feet, in the air, or in their water supply.
FULL STORY: A history of pollution pervades a California neighborhood

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

Idaho Data: Unexpected Vehicle Repairs Exacerbate Housing Instability, Eviction Risk
Over 21 percent of clients struggle with transportation barriers.

A Year-Long Investigation On Permanent Supportive Housing
The New York Times reveals what’s working and what’s not in the cornerstone of Housing First.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland