Michael Lind argues that the version of the nation's infrastructure priorities we've been sold is a fallacy, and he has some suggestions for the kind of infrastructure we really need.
Lind's opines that the consensus about the need to focus infrastructure investment on mass transit and renewable energy that has been adopted by the Obama administration and the political left are misguided. He sees the shale gas and robocar revolutions as delivering the fatal blows to those visions of the "next American infrastructure."
In their place he suggests a new, and decidedly less captivating, course for infrastructure inverstment. "If windmills and bullet trains symbolize yesterday's mistaken vision of
the future, what kind of infrastructure will twenty-first century
America really need? The following list of possibilities is intended to
be suggestive, not definitive:"
- Pipeline networks
- Ports
- Truck-only lanes and congestion relief tunnels
- Drones on the home front
"As the ill-fated vision of bullet trains and windmills shows, all
visions of the future are tentative and must be constantly revised, in
the light of new breakthroughs or political and economic realities.
Even so, at least some of these infrastructure technologies are likely
to play an important part in the economy of tomorrow."
Thanks to Daniel Lippman
FULL STORY: Oops — wrong future!
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.