Municipal officials and staff in Anchorage, Alaska, are hard at work drafting an updated land use plan that incorporates modern planning principles in the city's vision for development.

Anchorage Press reporter Zach Fields writes:
People who move to Anchorage are often shocked by how ugly and poorly planned the city is, in stark contrast to its surroundings. After decades of non-existent and then poor planning, the municipality finally is embarking on a comprehensive planning effort to rationalize development and strengthen the city's potential for economic growth. It can’t come soon enough: As low oil prices drain the state budget, Anchorage’s economic vitality will become increasingly reliant on attracting skilled professionals who want to live here because of the region’s unique amenities. Local business leaders are emphasizing that this is the new economic development paradigm: Attract people with good quality of life, and business will follow. Good urban quality of life is impossible without good urban planning and good urban design.
FULL STORY: Urban Planning for Anchorage?

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.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
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