In Hartford, Connecticut, a former department store that locals call "butt-ugly" is being demolished. Delays in its destruction had come to symbolize all that is wrong with Hartford politics, says Josh Goodman of Governing.
The building was also a major part of a mayoral scandal:
"For years, officials have made one false start after another as they tried to demolish the building. In the meantime, it only became more notorious. Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez resigned in June after he was convicted of five felonies, one of which related to the Butt Ugly Building. Prosecutors persuaded jurors that Perez had tried to extort $100,000 for a political ally from a developer interested in the site."
FULL STORY: Building Demolition a Turning Point in Hartford
Connecticut Bus System Earns Top Ranking
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House Natural Resources Committee Reveals Bribes in Trump’s Interior Department
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Corruption Case and a Call for Reform: Aldermanic Privilege Under Scrutiny in Chicago
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Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
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Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
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Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
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Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
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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.
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Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
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Harvard GSD Executive Education
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Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service