One of the more lively parts of Saturday night's Republican debate were the interactions between candidates Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, and the audience who booed Trump. But it hid a more serious matter—the use of eminent domain for the Northern Pass.
According to the project overview, "Northern Pass is a 192-mile transmission line project that will bring 1,090 megawatts (MW) of clean, affordable energy from Hydro-Québec’s world-class hydroelectric plants in Canada to New Hampshire and to the rest of New England." StateImpact calls it "a highly controversial proposal." Opponents have unwisely been labeled "NIMBYs", according to a 2014 Planetizen post.
Trump was asked by WMUR-TV anchor Josh McElveen, one of ABC's moderators during the debate, "Do you see eminent domain as an appropriate tool to get that done?"
However, while the future of the project is unsettled, the use of eminent domain was taken off the table by the legislature. "In 2012, former governor John Lynch (D) signed a law blocking utility companies from using eminent domain for certain projects, a law aimed at the contentious Northern Pass project, which seeks to string power lines from Quebec through New Hampshire, connecting a Canadian hydroelectric plant to New England’s power grid," reported the Washington Post on Jan. 26.
Bush and Trump also debated the use of eminent domain in the Keystone XL pipeline.
TRUMP to Bush: Eminent domain, the Keystone pipeline — do you consider that a private job?
BUSH: I consider it a public use.
The two go back and forth on that. Actually, it's a private job for what can be viewed as a public use, i.e., they were both right.
Notwithstanding the serious nature of eminent domain, the Northern Pass, and Keystone XL, the exchange was rather comical, with Trump telling Bush to be "quiet" numerous times, that he was trying to be a "tough guy," with Bush responding, "How tough it is to take away property from an elderly woman?" referring to Trump's use of eminent domain in his role as a developer in Atlantic City, N.J. in the 1990s (posted here).
And when the audience booed Trump for being a bully, he pounced on them, accusing them of being "all of (Bush's) donors and special interests out there."
FULL STORY: NH #GOPdebate audience boos Donald Trump after he orders Jeb Bush to be quiet
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.