In Philadelphia, a recent planning school graduate and his friends are attempting to create a pop-up park in East Passyunk using social media and contest winnings as funding tools.
Clint Randall, fresh from planning school, dreamed up the project, named the project "Reclaim Concrete", and entered it in the Pepsi Refresh Project for a potential grant. Randall is relying on the whims of internet voting to come through where city budgets can't.
Inga Saffron writes, "If Reclaim Concrete wins, Randall said, the East Passyunk Business Improvement District would receive $50,000 to transform a portion of the dreary traffic intersection where Passyunk Avenue slices 12th Street into a European-style, people-watching space outfitted with cafe tables, sailcloth umbrellas, and planters. The asphalt won't go away, but will be "retexturized" with a thick epoxy surface in a pleasant color, like green or beige."
Thanks to Donnie Maley
FULL STORY: Local planner needs votes on Pepsi website

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