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The Planetizen News Brief - 5/24/07

24 May 2007 - 7:00am
Smart City Radio

The Planetizen News Brief is a weekly rundown of some of the most interesting and important news and issues of the past week.

The Planetizen News Brief airs every week on the nationally-syndicated radio program "Smart City", which is broadcast in cities across the U.S. Learn more about Smart City and listen to archived shows.

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Full Transcript

It has been widely reported recently that home prices across the country are up. The high cost of home ownership has made once-prospective homebuyers into renters. But a trend is emerging that is making many people homeowners without pushing them into bankruptcy. Affordably-priced prefabricated homes are experiencing an upsurge in popularity, mainly among the younger, highly-educated, and upwardly-affluent population. The San Jose Mercury News reports that prefab homebuilders are bringing in a lot of business due to the low-cost of their homes, which can be less than half as expensive as building a standard home. The cheap housing is also appealing to environmentalists, who can more easily, and more affordably, convert their homes to be energy efficient.

Environmental friendliness is now on the agenda of many cities across the globe. That includes Menlo Park, California, a city in the San Francisco Bay Area that has joined with nearly 500 American cities in volunteering to take local action to counter the effects of global warming. And while the eco-city has made this environmentally-friendly commitment, environmentalists are saying that the city’s physical plans for its future growth work against those green goals. The Menlo Park Almanac reports that city officials are opposed to any plans to increase the city’s density – not near the city’s retail developments, downtown or commuter rail line. Critics say this adamant stance will encourage sprawling development that many say contributes to the global warming problems the city has pledged to fight against.

And one of the most notorious causes of global warming has shown its first downturn since 1981. The amount of miles Americans are driving has stopped rising for the first time in 26 years. USA Today reports that federal highway data has revealed a steadying growth rate despite an estimated one million more drivers on the road since last year. Many attribute the changing trend to improvements in public transit, shifting demographics, and rising gas prices. However, a USA Today poll reveals that rising prices may not play as great a role in changing driving habits as the steadying vehicle miles traveled rate would suggest. 64% of people surveyed said that no matter how high gas prices rose they would not make public transit their main mode of transportation.

Stories discussed in this week's Planetizen News Brief

Prefabricated Homes Attracting Buyers At Both Ends Of The Housing Spectrum

City Struggles With Density Issue In Fighting Global Warming

Americans Continue To Drive Fewer Miles In 2007

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A few tips for would-be winter bikers: install fenders, ride slower, lower your seat so you can use your boots as an emergency brake and enjoy the Christmas-card scenery.
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