A new LEED Platinum building in suburban Minneapolis may be the greenest single building in the state, but what about all those who must drive there? The City of Lakes blog looks at the fallacy of LEED rankings when location is not factored in.
"I recently toured the Great River Energy company headquarters in Maple Grove, MN, which is the first building in Minnesota to receive the "LEED-Platinum" classification from the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED-Platinum classification is intended to represent the highest achievement in sustainable building practices. The Great River building gets 15% of its energy from on-site wind and solar power, collects rainwater for on-site re-use, and used a multitude of recylced and locally-sourced materials in its construction. All of this is very admirable. The only problem? The building is essentially just another auto-dependent suburban office park located in a sea of congested roads, huge parking lots, and big-box chain retail stores."
Thanks to Jeff Wood
FULL STORY: Should Sprawl Be Eligible for LEED-Platinum Status?

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