Squatters living in the Las Vegas Valley have taken over empty houses in struggling working-class neighborhoods and in upscale planned communities such as Summerlin.
Ian Lovett of the New York Times reports:
Even as construction cranes have returned to the Las Vegas Strip and the unemployment rate has fallen to single digits, the (squatter invasion] situation is getting worse: the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has received more calls about squatters each year since it began tracking the problem; there were more than 4,000 complaints last year, up 43 percent from 2014 and more than twice as many as in 2012. Residents say the explosion of squatters has shattered their sense of security, leaving them wary of any new neighbors at a time the city is still trying to climb back from the depths of the recession.
FULL STORY: Las Vegas residents on edge over invasion of squatters
Late Action, Local Opposition Frustrate Emergency Homeless Shelter Plans
Some progress, but not nearly enough, has been reported as California and its cities scramble to procure temporary shelters to house homeless people during the pandemic.
The Decade in Urban Planning
A look back at the biggest stories and themes from the world of urban planning in the decade that was the 2010s.
Las Vegas Approves Homeless Camping Ban
The city of Las Vegas has approved a law that prohibits the homeless from camping in large swaths of the city. The measure provoked the opposition on most of the public in attendance at a City Council hearing this week.
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.
Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal
The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.
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.
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