Ecuadorean President-Elect Rafael Correa has announced dedication to building a port on his country's Pacific Coast in a plan to create a cross-continental river corridor to Brazil, an effort to ease transport of Asian goods throughout South America.
"The initiative is at the top of the list among the 31 projects of the South American regional infrastructure integration initiative (IIRSA)."
"The terminal will be connected via land to port Francisco de Orellana, on El Napo river, said Correa."
"In turn, the river will be dredged and Francisco de Orellana port will then be connected to Brazilian port Manaus through a system of locks, he added. The Brazilian port would lead to Atlantic port Belén, in the same country, making the initiative the cheapest and quickest path to connect the Atlantic to Asia, he said."
Many environmentalists are concerned about the environmental effects of such a large scale project and are opposing the dredging.
FULL STORY: Pres-elect: Manta-Manaus corridor to be built by 2011 - Ecuador

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie