Seen across the Internet this week: a picture of a crazy (brilliant?) idea for stabilizing one's self on a subway car without touching any germ-filled surfaces. It may not be the wildest thing you'll see on a Tokyo subway, but it's probably close.
Rona Moon muses on the existential meaning of a picture that appeared recently on a Japanese message board.

"Could this be the (scato)logical future of travel? Is this a protest against congested public transport, a desperate cry for attention, a new way to pick up plumbers, a misunderstood genius, or the next subway must-have? Whatever comes of it, this mysterious woman in leopard print knows how to attract attention. And maintain the carriage ceiling free of clogs."
"Some Japanese netizens on Hamusoku passed judgment, others overflowed the toilets of admiration," notes Moon. "So while most pooh-pooh the very idea, this could revolutionize subway travel. Or at least keep things flowing smoothly. Arriving soon at a station near you."
FULL STORY: Toiletally crazy! Woman takes the plunge on the subway

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.

Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.

Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.

Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
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