A master planned community would add 70,000 new residents to a city of 5,000 located southeast of Tucson, Arizona. Local and regional environmental groups don't think the environmental risks of the development have been properly considered.
Adriana Brocius reports on a master planned community called Vigneto, permitted but the subject of litigation in the city of Benson, just east of Tucson in Arizona.
"Phoenix-based development company El Dorado Holdings plans to build a 28,000-home community south of Benson. In August, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reissued a Clean Water Act permit for the project, giving developers the green light to begin building," according to Brocious.
Six environmental groups—the Lower San Pedro Watershed Alliance, Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, Maricopa Audubon Society, Tucson Audubon Society, and Cascabel Conservation Association—have filed legal challenges to the project, on the grounds that federal agencies didn't do sufficient analysis of the environmental impacts on the San Pedro River and local groundwater supplies.
"The development will house an estimated 70,000 people," according to Brocious. "Benson is now home to about 5,000 people."
FULL STORY: Opinions divided on massive Benson housing development
Clean Water Rule's Repeal Could Have Consequences for Sprawling Development in Arizona
A recent decision by the Trump administration regarding the Waters of the United States Rule is changing the legal calculus of a plan to add 28,000 homes in the city of Benson, located southwest of Tucson.
Army Corps Rescinds Permits for Massive Master Planned Community in Arizona
A plan to conjure 28,000 new homes from the landscape fed by the San Pedro River in Southern Arizona is once again on the wrong side of regulators.
Exurban Sprawl Picking Up Where the Great Recession Left Off
Despite the environmental effects of exurban sprawl, Northern California's housing shortage is being alleviated on the extreme edges of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).
The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.
The Small South Asian Republic Going all in on EVs
Thanks to one simple policy change less than five years ago, 65% of new cars in this Himalayan country are now electric.
DC Backpedals on Bike Lane Protection, Swaps Barriers for Paint
Citing aesthetic concerns, the city is removing the concrete barriers and flexposts that once separated Arizona Avenue cyclists from motor vehicles.
In These Cities, Most New Housing is Under 441 Square Feet
With loosened restrictions on “micro-housing,” tiny units now make up as much as 66% of newly constructed housing.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)