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The Planetizen News Brief - 9/3/09

3 September 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.

Four years after it was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, the City of New Orleans is still climbing back. But things are steadily improving. A recent article from the New York Times looked at the city’s recovery and notes that the population is back to nearly 75% of Pre-Katrina levels, and homes are slowly being rebuilt. But increasingly, the sentiment in the city is not about rebuilding the old New Orleans. In fact, many people are calling for a sharp detour from the city of the past, where unemployment was rampant and the economy was dragging. Already, entrepreneurs and small business are flocking to the city, which many see as a blank slate. And with tens of billions of government dollars coming to the city over the next few years, this infusion offers what some say is a golden chance to rebrand the city as a place for new businesses to thrive. Essentially, they hope it’s a chance to create a new New Orleans.

Meanwhile, in South Africa, the booming metropolis of Johannesburg has just begun operations of the nation’s first bus rapid transit system. It’s the biggest public transportation project undertaken by the country in years, and Johannesburg’s BRT is just the first in a nationwide program. According to an article from the AFP, the new dedicated-lane bus rapid transit system will connect outlying areas to the center of the city, and also to the new soccer stadium being built for South Africa’s hosting duties of the 2010 soccer World Cup. The system represents a big step forward for the country, which had previously depended on minibuses and private taxis for inner-city transportation. The new system is part of a push towards broader municipal transit services, many of which are being fast-tracked for completion in time for next summer’s World Cup.

And finally, in New York, a series of recent studies has tracked the economic benefits of parks within the city. The Gotham Gazette offers a summary, which estimates that the new High Line Linear park will bring about nearly $4 billion worth of real estate investments, and that Central Park contributes about $1 billion to the local economy per year. A variety of other reports from across the country back up the claim that parks have a positive impact on the economy. But in tough times, parks budgets are facing reductions all over the country. Without the money to keep up parks and their programs, many worry their economic power will also dissipate. Advocates say that without healthy parks, it will be harder to return to a healthy economy.

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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