A strike in the city of Vancouver that has left residents without garbage collection for nearly three months has caused people to get creative -- and a little sneaky -- in how they get rid of their trash.
"The mayor says the garbage strike has made us all better recyclers. Maybe. But I'd say it's also turning us into a city of smugglers, if my experience is any guide."
"I'm not talking about dealing in drugs or stolen jewels, though given the size of this city's underground drug economy, lots of people apparently do just that. My illicit items are more prosaic: rotting banana peels, week-old salmon skins and, after the long weekend, turkey bones."
"In the early days of this seemingly interminable, 83-day civic strike, I sucked up to my friends living out in the wilds of Metro Vancouver, who kindly let me come to dinner with a bag or two of detritus. But let's face it, there's only so much garbage even good friends will take -- even if it comes with a nice bottle of chablis that costs me $20 a pop."
FULL STORY: Strike has turned us into smugglers
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.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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.
