The City of Santee is using Twitter and Facebook to protest a planned prison expansion on nearby county land.
"A marketing firm contracted by the city has set up a Web site, Facebook page and Twitter account under the handle 'nojailexpansion.' The city is using the sites to lobby against the county's proposed $300 million expansion of the Las Colinas Detention Facility in Santee.
"Keep in mind this is not akin to advocating for a position or a candidate as part of an election campaign," Santee City Manager Keith Till said. "This is a public policy debate."
The county has proposed replacing the 810-bed Las Colinas women's jail – the only all-female jail in the county – with a new, 1,216-bed facility. The site would increase from 16 acres to 45 acres in the center of the city. County officials are preparing an environmental impact report on the project, which could go to the Board of Supervisors later this month.
In place of a mug shot, Santee's Facebook page features a graphic that says, 'Jail Expansion: Know the Facts.' Below that are postings discussing how quickly the city is growing and the potential for increased traffic, and saying that the plan is a misuse of taxpayer money."
FULL STORY: City turns to Twitter, Facebook to fight jail expansion

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

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.

HUD Ordered to Release Grant Funds After Anti-DEI Clawback
A federal judge ruled in favor of fair housing groups after the Trump administration tried to rescind housing grants.

Drop in Veteran Homelessness Offers Lessons
Bipartisan support, robust funding, and access to comprehensive data are keys to the success of programs that assist unhoused veterans.

Minneapolis Bans Rent-Setting Software
Four cities have enacted restrictions on algorithmic software that can inflate rent costs.
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