As the city struggles with garbage collection, an all-volunteer force rises to the challenge.
"[Volunteers] converge on New Orleans' neighborhoods to attack what many now consider its greatest enemy: trash. They are tackling the heaps of paper, cartons, blankets, tattered clothing, wood and rug remnants that litter the city's streets and median strips â€" referred to here as "neutral ground" â€" six months after Hurricane Katrina tore through...[The] trash force calls itself the Katrina Krewe and includes students, homemakers, retirees, teachers and other professionals...
Residents acknowledge that the city has always struggled with garbage collection. But the local government has faced a myriad of other post-storm challenges, and only Friday kicked off a city-sponsored volunteer cleanup. Garbage has become New Orleans' new emblem; in many neighborhoods, more rubbish than cars line curbs...the magnitude of the trash appears to dwarf the official cleanup effort...
The number of volunteers has soared from 15...to between 150 and 500, the Katrina Krewe founder said. The helpers hail from all over the city â€" and sometimes the country â€" and typically cover a 15- to 20-block radius during each cleanup."
FULL STORY: Trash Force Sweeps New Orleans

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

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?

HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City
The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.

Washington State Legislature Passes Parking Reform Bill
A bill that would limit parking requirements for new developments is headed to the governor’s desk.

Missouri Law Would Ban Protections for Housing Voucher Users
A state law seeks to overturn source-of-income discrimination bans passed by several Missouri cities.
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.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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