This post from The New York Times' blog examines how city government's are increasingly relying on automated services to keep order and boost revenue, and how citizens are reacting.
As cities go hands-off, locals are taking their city's wellbeing into their own hands -- from community gardens to grassroots efforts to reuse abandoned neighborhoods.
"So, we have cities doing by default what urban planners could never do. Greener cities, yes. More open spaces in what were once ruined neighborhoods. Healthier, perhaps, even with the pall of economic desperation. Part of an ecosystem, housing units no longer defined exclusively by city lots and housing walls.
But at the same time, cities are turning impersonal – with eye-on-the-people enforcement."
FULL STORY: The Self-Service City
Guerilla Urbanism: Small Interventions, Big Impact
Citizen-led projects can lead to broader changes — if cities will listen.
How Nonprofits Are Shaping Sustainable Cities
Learn about nonprofits' pivotal role in urban sustainability, from policy advocacy to launching eco-initiatives that are transforming cityscapes for the better.
State Bill Protects New York’s Community Gardens
The legislation recognizes community gardens as vital urban spaces and an effective weapon against the impacts of climate change on cities.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
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