Portland, Oregon, is pushing stricter regulations on the city's waste, mandating that residents and businesses recycle 75% of their waste by 2015. Many businesspeople are upset about the costs that would be associated with compliance.
"By 2015, the city wants the largest food-related businesses to have their scraps collected for recycling. The plan also calls for all businesses regardless of size to recycle paper. Construction jobs valued at more than $50,000 would need to recycle 75 percent of their waste."
"Some 20 percent of all disposed garbage consists of building materials that can be recycled, according to the city. The city also estimates that 29 percent of all garbage contains food scraps that can be composted."
"The proposals call for recycling rates to jump from the currently targeted 50 percent levels to 75 percent in 2015. Portland residents and businesses currently recycle 63 percent of their waste."
"'There isn't enough information out there to determine whether making these changes to the entire commercial system will get us' to the city's goals, said Agatha Viernes, assistant property manager for Unico Properties LLC's Portland office."
FULL STORY: A ruckus over rubble
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Meet NYC’s New Office of Livable Streets
The NYC DOT program will build on pandemic-era initiatives to promote safe and comfortable streets that enhance community and expand uses beyond just moving cars.
Transit Riders Face the Highest Safety Risks in These 10 States
According to federal data, the average number of safety incidents on public transportation averaged 55.2 per 100,000 people across all states between 2010 and 2023. Which states came in well above the national average?
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.
