Needle exchanges are still controversial in some parts of the country, so expect "supervised injection facilities" to be even more so.
Mattie Quinn reports on efforts to bring supervised injection facilities to the United States.
"At these facilities, medical professionals provide addicts with sterile injection equipment so they can safely use illegal drugs they obtained from outside," explains Quinn. "They can also wait out the high and get information about and referrals to treatment."
Vancouver, in Canada, is home to the only such facility in North America, but officials in Seattle and King County recently approved a proposal for the first such facility in the United States. San Francisco is also exploring the possibility of opening a supervised injection facility.
The Vancouver facility "has been credited with preventing nearly 5,000 overdoses since it opened in 2003," but in the United States, risk reduction facilities like needle exchanges are already controversial. Supervised injection would certainly be a tough sell for some politicians.
FULL STORY: Coming Soon to America: Places for Addicts to Safely Shoot Up
The Messy Politics of Saving Lives from Drug Overdoses
Philadelphia was on the verge of approving a key harm reduction strategy to prevent fatal drug overdoses until the city council all but banned supervised injection sites, overriding a mayoral veto. A New York Times report explores the controversy.
Philadelphia Could Be the First U.S. City to Open a Sanctioned Safe Injection Site
Facing the highest rate of deaths of any major city in the U.S. opioid epidemic, the city of Philadelphia is preparing to take drastic measures.
Federal Government Intervenes to Halt Planned Supervised Injection Site in Philadelphia
Pennsylvania-based prosecutors and the Department of Justice in Washington are mounting a legal challenge to a proposed supervised injection site in the works in Philadelphia.
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