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The Planetizen News Brief - 8/27/09

27 August 2009 - 5:00am
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.

Full Transcript

The flood gates are open! Well, at least that’s what transit advocates would like to think. The federal government has just begun accepting applications for funding from the economic stimulus package to go towards passenger rail programs. The Wall Street Journal reports that billions of dollars were requested by states when the application period began on Monday. Some states, like California, didn’t hold back. The Golden State submitted 42 applications for funding, adding up to $1.1 billion. The Washington D.C. region also has its hand out, requesting more than $434 million. Analysts predict that states that have already dedicated their own funding to rail projects will be more likely to receive additional funds through the stimulus program. Federal Railroad Administration officials say grants will be awarded in late September or early October.

Meanwhile in other federal news, the department of Housing and Urban Development is updating its rules about how loans to first-time homebuyers can be used, and some developers say the regulations are going to make it harder to build affordable housing. One new rule in particular would affect condominium loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration that allow people to put only 3.5% as a down payment, as opposed to the typical 20%. The proposed change would limit how many of those federally-insured loans could be used to purchase units in new condo buildings. HUD officials admit that the new regulations are meant to protect HUD from the risks of the current mortgage crisis. A recent article from the San Diego Business Journal airs the concerns of local housing developers who say the proposed changes would not only limit their ability to build affordably priced units, but would also hurt low-income people looking to become first-time homebuyers. Others argue that maybe lower-income people shouldn’t be trying to buy homes, especially in an unstable economic climate. Though real estate developers are calling for the rule change to be loosened, it appears to be moving ahead unchanged and set to take effect October 1.

And finally, a recent box office hit has some slum dwellers hoping for a chance to improve their living conditions. The Soweto slum of Chiawelo in Johannesburg, South Africa was the set of the recently released science-fiction movie District 9. The film used the real-life shack dwellings of the slum as the fictional neighborhood where aliens are quarantined and face discrimination. But for the residents of the actual slum, the fiction is not too far from the truth. According to a recent article from the Globe and Mail, Soweto residents are hoping that the global exposure will spur the government to bring about some improvements to the impoverished settlement. And while they welcome the spotlight on their settlement, they hope the embarrassment it brings to officials will inspire action.

Stories discussed in this week's Planetizen News Brief

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If hundreds of people in your community raised reasonable concerns about a planning program you developed, how would you respond? Perhaps you might call a community meeting, or ask community elected officials to reach out to community leaders.
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