County officials are moving forward with four mega-projects designed to improve downtown Miami. Critics wonder if they will really benefit the taxpayer.
"Miami-Dade commissioners continued a lightning-quick march Tuesday toward a massive face-lift for downtown Miami, voting to help finance four major projects worth billions of dollars.
After eight hours of debate, commissioners voted 9-4 to adopt a pact with Miami to extend the life and boundaries of the city's Community Redevelopment Agencies as a way to spur a wide array of projects.
Among them: building a tunnel from Watson Island to the Port of Miami, creating a museum park, paying off hundreds of millions in construction debt at the Performing Arts Center and generating millions in affordable housing in Overtown.
'Today,' said Commissioner Katy Sorenson, a longtime stadium critic, 'I think we have the opportunity to embark on greatness, and we have to take the leap of faith.'"
FULL STORY: Miami makeover passes county test

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

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.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal
The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.

Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification
The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.

Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation
Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.
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
Smith Gee Studio
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