How one innovative economic development program is challenging stereotypes, and providing job training and housing rehab along the way.
The Women in Construction Company--a project of the Women's Transitional Housing Coalition (WTHC) in Duluth, MN, is an economic development program designed to offer construction skills training to low income women. Since its inception in 2001, the program has helped women obtain employment in the construction trade. They also encourage women to start their own contracting businesses. As other jobs, such as housekeeping, cooking and tourism generally do not pay a living wage, "the trades offer a good inside track for job stability and financial security, but there are gender barriers to consider." According to one of the program founders, shifting the focus of the WTHC to do housing development provided an opportunity to "realize one of the coalition's longstanding goals: to get women into the lucrative construction trades."
Thanks to Connie Chung
FULL STORY: Building a Home and a Future

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

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.

Minneapolis Bans Rent-Setting Software
Four cities have enacted restrictions on algorithmic software that can inflate rent costs.

Oakland to Add 244 New EV Chargers
Oakland plans to launch its new charging network at eight locations by the end of 2025.

Jane Goodall Inspires with Message of Hope, Resilience, and Environmental Action
Speaking in Pasadena, Jane Goodall offered a hopeful and inspirational message, urging global compassion, environmental responsibility, and the power of individual action to shape a better future.
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