Owners of several California mobile home parks want to boost monthly rents, and are suing cities for the right to do so.
"Perched on a cliff looking out over the Pacific Ocean, the De Anza mobile home park in Santa Cruz is arguably the most spectacular such park in the world. It's also ground zero for perhaps the last great battle over rent control in California, the outcome of which could affect hundreds of thousands in the Golden State, many of them seniors on fixed incomes...Chicago-based Manufactured Home Communities, which owns De Anza, has joined other park owners in filing a slew of simultaneous federal lawsuits against cities, including Santa Cruz, that have rent-control laws." Several cities are settling the suits under threat of expensive legal fees, but residents are outraged over the owners tactics.
Thanks to Christian Peralta
FULL STORY: Seaside standoff in Santa Cruz

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

Spring Spectacle: Thousands of Tulips Bloom at One of LA’s Top Gardens
Descanso Gardens, one of Los Angeles County’s most beloved botanical destinations, is welcoming spring with 35,000 tulips in bloom, creating a breathtaking seasonal display expected to peak in late March.

Ratepayers Could Be on the Hook for Data Centers’ Energy Use
Without regulatory changes, data centers’ high demand for energy would be subsidized by taxpayers, according to a new study.

City Nature Challenge: Explore, Document, and Protect Urban Biodiversity
The City Nature Challenge is a global community science event where participants use the iNaturalist app to document urban biodiversity, contributing valuable data to support conservation and scientific research.
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research