The Napa River's Oxbow bypass doubles as public park space and an outlet when the river floods. The project brought together local environmentalists and the business community.
John King offers up a defense of the Oxbow bypass, a costly flood control project that doubles as a park. He writes, "it performed exactly as predicted back in 1998, when Napa County voters approved a half-cent sales tax to fund their portion of a multifaceted flood control project through the city of 80,000."
Backers of the "living river" were diverse, including the Sierra Club and the Napa Chamber of Commerce. "Environmentalists knew they wouldn't gain the necessary two-thirds support from voters without the backing of local business. Business groups understood that a safe attractive river might make the long-moribund downtown more enticing."
King acknowledges (but pushes against) critiques leveled at the project's expense. "Oxbow bypass didn't open until 2015, seven years after the project was supposed to be done. The budget soared past $500 million from an initial estimate of $220 million, due in part to the cost of purchasing 53 mobile homes and 44 structures along the river's path."
FULL STORY: ‘Living river’ rejuvenates Napa, brings needed flood control
Turning Disaster Into Opportunity
Brian Phelps reports on the power of urban landscaping to revitalize a flood-devastated city - Valencia, Spain.
Making California State Parks More Climate-Resilient
A recently released report offers recommendations for keeping state parks healthy and robust, including acquiring additional land for conservation and recreation.
LA County Releases Draft Community Forest Management Plan
LA County's Chief Sustainability Office just released the discussion draft of Room to Grow, the first Community Forest Management Plan for the county.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
Podcast: Addressing the Root Causes of Transit Violence
Deploying transit police is a short-term fix. How can transit agencies build sustainable safety efforts?
Minneapolis as a Model for Housing Affordability
Through a combination of policies, the city has managed to limit the severity of the nationwide housing crisis.
Indy Bikeshare System Turns 10, Expands to E-Bikes
Pacers Bikeshare riders logged over 700,000 rides since the system launched in 2014.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.
