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The Planetizen News Brief - 12/10/09

10 December 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:

As the United States takes baby steps towards a piecemeal high speed rail system, two European countries have announced a partnership that aims to build a 650-mile high speed train line, and they say they can do it by 2012. The governments of Spain and France are planning to build a high speed rail line that will connect the two countries’ capital cities of Madrid and Paris, according to a recent article from the Times of London. The rail line could cut the travel time between the two cities down to about 6 hours. The system will also be able to connect with the high speed rail operating between Paris and London, slashing the travel time between the British capital and Madrid down to about 8 hours. The new line will be jointly run by the state rail operators of France and Spain, and could be completed in time to transport Spanish fans to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

But in the U.S., big projects like that are few and far between right now, as the economic recession continues to pound government agencies. Citizens are also feeling the pinch, and the loss of jobs, property and assets are causing some to radically rethink their lifestyles. A recent piece in the Wall Street Journal looked at the increasing trend of urbanites and suburbanites ditching their city digs and heading out to greener acres. Some simply want to get out of the urban sprawl their homes had handcuffed them to, while others are seeking a greater investment opportunity in rural land. Some are simply purchasing the land at low prices as a fallback property in case things get even worse. Though there is a variety of inspirations driving these “ruralpolitans” out to the countryside, the common thread among them all is an uncertainty about the economy and a hope for a viable future – even if it is out in the sticks.

But for the most part, urban areas are not draining out. In fact, many are gaining population, and officials at both the city and federal levels are hoping to keep that trend up. One method being suggested in Congress is to expand funding for urban park project. According to a recent article from the Gotham Gazette, a congressmember from New Jersey has proposed a bill that would boost urban parks funding for the first time in 8 years. A variety of other programs and partnerships are also emphasizing the drawing power of urban parkspace and outdoor amenities. These officials are hoping that such civic improvements will improve the quality of life and populations of America’s urban areas.

Stories Discussed in This Week's News Brief:

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It has been estimated that half of all Americans, and two-thirds of urban Americans, live in suburbia. Here are the key questions: Does suburbia exist because it is the natural "culmination of urban development"?
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