The City Council of Riviera Beach, Florida, in an effort to outmaneuver the Florida Legislature, approved an agreement with a developer enabling a $2.4 billion waterfront redevelopment project that relies on eminent domain.
The agreement sets up a legal battle pitting the City against state lawmakers, who last week passed a bill that strips cities like Riviera Beach from using its eminent domain powers to take private land and give it to developers. Despite its location in Palm Beach County, Riviera Beach is one of the poorer communities in South Florida, and has been struggling to encourage redevelopment for decades.
Throughout Florida's legislative session, which ended May 5th, the city and the developer had lobbied lawmakers for an amendment giving the city until 2010 to operate under the current eminent domain law, but that amendment was killed. With developer Viking threatening to abandon the project, city officials scrambled to come up with a quick fix. City officials contend that the legislature's actions violate their constitutional rights under the "contracts clause" of the U.S. Constitution, which says no government can pass a law that interferes with an existing contract between two parties. By signing the contract Wednesday, May 10, the city is trying to legally circumvent the law, which Governor Bush has yet to sign. Attorney Bruce Rogow, a constitutional law expert with more than 40 years of experience, says the City has a good case.
Thanks to Sheryl Stolzenberg
FULL STORY: Riviera tries to outwit law by signing pact

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.

San Francisco’s Muni Ridership Grew in 2024
The system saw its highest ridership since before the Covid-19 pandemic, but faces a severe budget shortage in the coming year.

Colorado Lawmakers Move to Protect BRT Funding
In the face of potential federal funding cuts, CDOT leaders reasserted their commitment to planned bus rapid transit projects.

Safe Streets Funding in Jeopardy
The Trump administration is specifically targeting bike infrastructure and other road safety projects in its funding cuts.
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