Welcome to the home of Thomas Bros. Maps, where 'map geeks aren't made. They're born.'
"In the 1940s, Thomas had an epiphany and moved the company to Southern California, which in the postwar boom was quickly becoming the epitome of America's car culture. With the Southland's constant expansion and a road network that features a bewildering lack of consistent numbering, the Thomas brothers had tapped into a ready-made market that grew with each year's update... The work that's done at Thomas Bros. in Irvine is far more prosaic. About 70 people work in cubicles amid insurance-office quiet, updating information and redrawing maps by computer."
Thanks to Chris Steins
FULL STORY: Mapmakers Grid and Bear Southland's Nuances

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.

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.

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.

Scientists Studying Artificial Reefs as Flood Mitigation in Great Lakes
Artificial reefs could offer a ‘softer’ flood management and erosion solution that doesn’t disrupt the flow of sediment.

FEMA Resilience Program Cuts Grant Funding
The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program funded projects from flood prevention to power station upgrades.

What the ‘Walk Score’ Misses
A popular walkability assessment omits key factors that impact different demographics and can direct development resources to already wealthy neighborhoods.
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
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
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Harvard GSD Executive Education
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NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland