As the number of unhoused Americans grows, some jurisdictions are going against the advice of advocates and imposing harsh penalties for sleeping in public spaces.

Cities and states are starting to take harsher measures against unhoused residents, reports Robbie Sequeira in Stateline, in part as a response to more complaints by local businesses and housed residents. However, homeless advocates warn that punitive measures that criminalize unhoused people and only address visible homelessness rarely succeed in getting people into supportive services and housing.
Yet states and cities around the country including Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, San Diego, and Portland, Oregon have passed camping bans that prevent homeless people from sleeping in public areas and performed violent sweeps to clear encampments. “The new Georgia law is the most far-reaching. It goes beyond a camping ban by steering the state away from the ‘housing first’ strategy embraced by many advocates.”
Meanwhile, homelessness rose by 12 percent in 2023 over the previous year, and the end of pandemic-era assistance programs could lead to even more evictions.
FULL STORY: As homeless people become more visible, some cities and states take a tougher line

Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.

National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.

Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.

Test News Post 1
This is a summary

Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.

Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service