As oversized homes fall out of fashion, is Junior's private lair disappearing? And is that really so bad?
As the nation's love affair with McMansions continues to wane, what does that mean for our kids? Trulia says that more than a third of the homebuying market now wants a pad under 2,000 SF. Scott Doyon points out the benefits that may be in store for our kids in these smaller homes, including learning to share, cooperate, problem solve, and self-edit. And that's before you get to the benefits of a more connected community. Doyon says:
"I'm a parent so, not surprisingly, I'm always on the lookout for intersections between that and my work in community design. The last time I considered the issue, I was thinking at the level of the neighborhood and exploring how walkable, mixed-use, mixed-product environments help parents combat a host of contemporary child-rearing ills."
"Today I move from the neighborhood to the house and wonder: In what ways are evolving trends in home buying impacting our kids - and our responsibility for raising them?"
Thanks to Hazel Borys
FULL STORY: Smart Growth = Smart Parenting, Part Two

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.

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.

Grand Rapids Mayor Proposes Garage Conversion Plan
The mayor says allowing homeowners to convert garages to dwelling units could alleviate the city’s housing shortage.
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