As a formerly small town grows into a city, it looks to the creation of a performing arts theater to bring it back above the surface of the flood of suburban blight.
Brampton, Ontario, was once a sleepy small town. But now with a population of almost 400,000, Brampton officials have decided that the city can no longer grow as a suburb, but must embrace its city status. One way to do so has been the construction of a brand new performing arts theater.
"And so, in the 21st century, prompted by an atavistic desire to have a there there, the Bramptons of the world are engaged in a vain effort to create a sense of place. These days that typically means building cultural institutions - theatres, galleries, museums and the like."
"For Brampton it means the Rose Theatre. Constructed, appropriately, on the site of an existing underground parking lot, the 880-seat venue sits metres from the city's 'Four Corners' at Queen and Main Sts., the centre of old Brampton. Even now, the area still boasts a few 19th-century buildings, which though not necessarily grand, at least possess character, something entirely absent from the vast bulk of contemporary architecture."
FULL STORY: A weekend in the Bramptons

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.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Crime Continues to Drop on Philly, San Francisco Transit Systems
SEPTA and BART both saw significant declines in violent crime in the first quarter of 2025.

How South LA Green Spaces Power Community Health and Hope
Green spaces like South L.A. Wetlands Park are helping South Los Angeles residents promote healthy lifestyles, build community, and advocate for improvements that reflect local needs in historically underserved neighborhoods.

Sacramento Plans ‘Quick-Build’ Road Safety Projects
The city wants to accelerate small-scale safety improvements that use low-cost equipment to make an impact at dangerous intersections.
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
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service