Anthropologists have discovered traces of highly organized and gridded cities in the Amazon rainforest dating back to the 1200s.
"The finding suggests that vast swathes of 'pristine' rain forest may actually have been sophisticated urban landscapes prior to the arrival of European colonists."
"The repeated patterns within and among settlements across the landscape suggest a highly ordered and planned society on par with any medieval European town."
"The finding supports a controversial theory that the Amazon River Basin teemed with large societies that were all but obliterated by disease when European colonists arrived in the 15th and 16th centuries."
"So far he has identified at least two major clusters-or polities-of towns, villages, and hamlets. Each cluster contains a central seat of ritualistic power with wide roads radiating out to other communities."
"A major road aligned with the summer solstice intersects each central plaza."
"'The whole landscape is almost like a latticework, the way it is gridded off,' Heckenberger said. 'The individual centers themselves are much less constructed. It is more patterned at the regional level.'"
FULL STORY: Ancient Amazon Cities Found; Were Vast Urban Network

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.
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