Equity

Detroit Says Problems With Property Tax Assessments are Fixed. Advocates Disagree.
With higher-valued properties under assessed and lower-valued properties over assessed, advocates say there's still a problem with Detroit's property tax system.

Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”
The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.

What Is the Fair Housing Act?
Signed in 1968, the Fair Housing Act legally prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, sex, and other protected categories in housing. Over fifty years later, access to safe and affordable housing remains uneven across social and racial groups.

Judge Blocks Anti-DEI Rules for Transportation, Housing Grants
A second injunction blocks the Trump administration from enforcing new regulations for federal funding.

DOJ Seeks to End USDOT Affirmative Action Program
The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program encouraged contracting with minority- and women-owned businesses in the transportation sector, where these groups are vastly underrepresented.

Integrating Human Rights Into Energy and Extractive Sector Transitions
Why just transition efforts must move beyond economic considerations by embedding human rights principles into business practices to ensure equitable, transparent, and accountable outcomes for affected communities and workers.

Reflections on Representation and Legacy in Parks and Public Service
In a personal reflection for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, planner Clement Lau explores how cultural identity, public service, and a commitment to equity have shaped his career in parks, community planning, and sustainability.

April Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month
A key federal housing assistance program is in peril, Maui tries to balance housing affordability with its tourism-based economy, and a landmark Virginia law could set a new standard for road safety.

Op-Ed: Why Mobility Is Political
The freedom to move remains unevenly distributed between people of different backgrounds.

Bringing Community Voices Into Renewable Energy Planning
The MIT Renewable Energy Clinic helps coastal communities navigate the complexities of offshore wind development through neutral, inclusive engagement that surfaces local concerns and supports fair decision-making.

Making Mobility More Inclusive
A new study highlights the challenges people with disabilities continue to face in navigating urban spaces.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

Disconnecting Communities: Measuring the Social Impacts of Freeways
Research from 50 major U.S. cities shows social connections are weakest in neighborhoods where highways are present.

USDOT Eliminates Environmental, Equity Considerations
A new memo rescinds Biden-era regulations that prioritized renewable energy, accessibility, and equity for historically disadvantaged communities.

Report: The State of Public Spaces
A 50-year-old institution takes stock of placemaking in the public realm today.

Empower LA: The LA2050 Grants Challenge
The 2025 LA2050 Grants Challenge invites organizations to become outreach partners and help mobilize Angelenos to vote on how $1 million in grants will be allocated to address key local issues like homelessness, income inequality, and park access.

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.

Forest Service Rescinds Tree Planting Grants
The $75 million program fell victim to the federal government’s purge of ‘DEI’-related projects.
Pagination
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont