Sarah Goodyear of Grist thinks Masdar, Songdu City and other smart mega-projects are fascinating, but, she says, what about fixing the cities we already have instead?
Goodyear points out that these new "sustainable" cities are all greenfield development: "Constructing these places inevitably means a huge expenditure of natural resources."
She also notes that these are basically company towns, with a distinct risk that they'll be unloved and homogeneous.
"...how do we make cities smarter (in the sustainability sense) without building a world of sterile, personality-challenged municipalities from the ground up?"
FULL STORY: If you want a model city, fix the one you’ve got

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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