Calling all certified planners! The ITGA is excited to announce that for the second year, we are partnering with the American Planning Association. The ITGA is an APA provider of educational opportunities for professional planners to earn mandatory credits and stay current with the latest trends, technologies and leading practices. The relationships with the world's largest planning association has immense potential for the ITGA, our communities and growing membership. Certified planners attending this year's ITGA Conference may receive credit hours for the AICP Certification Maintenance (CM) program. Conference sessions eligible for CM credit will be noted in the conference schedule soon. All inquiries should be sent to Britany.Waddell@calvertcountymd.gov.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has made innovation, especially around smart cities technology, a centerpiece of his administration following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. Touting the city as "Silicon Bayou," Turner has spearheaded a partnership with Rice University to build out an innovation district, with the Ion building as the physical center of that effort (the building had originally been offered to Amazon as part of the city's HQ2 pitch). The new accelerator is the latest outgrowth, and will help the city not just foster homegrown businesses, but attract national startups who can test their technology in the nation's fourth-largest city. Smart Cities Dive

In August, students on lavender bikes will be towing trailers of old food around Temple's surrounding streets, part of the brand new composting initiative. Temple Student Government and the Office of Sustainability created a student-led Compost Collection Service for off-campus students living within Temple Police's patrol boundary. Beginning in the fall, student volunteers will bike to pick up compost buckets from participating students and transport them to Temple's community garden. Kathleen Grady, the Office of Sustainability director, said she is hopeful for the program's success because it is student-led. The Temple News

Since 2007, "All things Equal," a weekly radio show co-produced by Cornell and the Cayuga Radio Group, has provided a kind of talking cure for some of society's ills. Celebrating its 600th episode April 23 with guests Brown and Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick, "All Things Equal" draws on the diversity of Tompkins County's communities and campuses to respond to intolerance with dialogue. The show focuses on issues of diversity, equity and sustainability, and aims to provide an oasis of respect and empathy in what can seem like a sea of discord. "I think it brings a level of decorum and participation to the community," said Gary Stewart, Cornell's associate vice president for community relations. Cornell Chronicle

A Western University proposal to extend its student code of conduct to apply to off-campus behaviour is "a step in the right direction" toward curbing the out-of-control fake home-coming parties each fall. That's the view of Coun. Phil Squire, whose Ward 6 includes Western and nearby Broughdale Avenue, ground zero for the unsanctioned "FoCo' bashes that in recent years have drawn thousands and unnerved city and police officials. "For several years they have been in fact debating whether they had the right to do it, now it appears they are prepared to go ahead and sanction students who commit serious breaches of conduct off campus and that is really important," Squire said. The London Free Press

On Thursday morning, Uber officials went to Columbia to announce a nationwide Campus Safety Initiative following the death of University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson. The Uber initiative included an awareness campaign, new safety features in the Uber app and two campus ride programs, the company said in a press release. To increase awareness about rider safety, Uber is sending an email to all United States-based customers with safety tips. The company is also giving $100,000 to the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators to educate students about rider safety. The Medical University of South Carolina, USC and Clemson University are all accredited under this organization. Greenville News