As the backlog of housing in Brazil continues to increase, ranchers and the poor in search of housing outside of urban areas clash.
Brazil "is in the midst of a great migration as poor people stream from both the cities and the countryside, crisscrossing this vast and fertile nation to claim farmland owned by others. The crisis in this country of 175 million pits militant peasants and the unemployed against a wealthy minority that owns 90 percent of Brazil's arable land and is increasingly taking up arms and hiring militias to protect its property.... Nearly 166,000 Brazilian families populate squatter camps throughout the country, according to the country's largest anti-poverty organization, the Landless Workers' Movement....That represents 98,000 more families than lived in squatter camps nationwide at the end of last year....escalating tensions seem almost inevitable in a country where the chasm between rich and poor is wide. Twenty percent of the population owns 90 percent of all arable land in Brazil, while the poorest 40 percent owns only 1 percent."
Thanks to Connie Chung
FULL STORY: Brazil's Land Rush Leads to Standoff

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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