After a nearly five-hour meeting, the board of directors unanimously approved an ordinance governing future data center projects.
After a contentious meeting filled with concerned residents, the Little Rock board of directors, the city's legislative body, voted to approve an ordinance that regulates data centers in the city, reports Ainsley Platt for the Arkansas Advocate.
"The nearly five-hour meeting was packed with local residents who provided feedback on the ordinance and Google’s plans to build a 300,000-square-foot data center in the Port of Little Rock." Meeting attendees called on the board to enact a temporary ban on new data centers and develop stronger regulations.
Nevertheless, the board moved ahead with the regulations. "Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. emphasized the ordinance could be strengthened as the city learns more about the Google data center, and said it wasn’t possible for local governments to ban data centers outright."
Read the full story: Arkansas’ largest city approves new data center ordinance
New York State pauses all new data center projects
An executive order from Gov. Hochul prohibits new data center permits until the state finalizes an environmental review of their impacts.
Jersey City bans stand-alone data centers
The city updated its land use ordinance to exclude data centers as an acceptable use in the industrial district.
Texas town's data center ban challenged by state senator
In June, San Marcos became the first city in Texas to prohibit data centers.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
In Texas, data centers are swallowing promised parkland
Residents who moved to Taylor, Texas for a rural community now have to contend with three data centers in their backyard.
How a Chicago-sized wind farm beat the odds and powered on
The project spanned five presidential administrations and a standoff with a U.S. military base.
MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court
The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority