For the second time this week, the "Room For Debate" section of The New York Times is tackling an area of interest for planners. This time, High Speed Rail in California is up for debate by a series of contributors.
The New York Times has stepped into the debate over High Speed Rail in California, as the issue continues to garner national interest. A series of advocates, planners, professors, and authors each stake out a position on whether to proceed with the country's most ambitious plan for High Speed Rail.
Some see it as the key to catalyzing "a new generation of growth" for the state. Another voice sees it as a good idea that has been corrupted by unscrupulous bureaucrats and consultants. Still another sees a great idea in a bad location, and advocates for focusing efforts to develop HSR in the Northeast Corridor, where there is proven demand.
FULL STORY: Does California Need High-Speed Rail?

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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