Smart Growth's opponents love taxpayer investments, decry citizen involvement
"Property rights" is the favored, two-word battle cry for those who want to kill promising new Smart Growth ideas. It is heard most loudly around undeveloped farmland, forest, and open space beyond settled areas, and it mostly comes from developers waiting to make a killing on land sales and construction projects in those areas, which are so valuable only because taxpayers have paid for the roads, sewers, and schools that make them possible in the first place. But when those same taxpayers want to protect their investment with reasonable laws or zoning ordinances, the developers tell the community to get lost.
Thanks to Keith Schneider
FULL STORY: The "Property Rights" Hypocrisy
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure
If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.
End Human Sacrifices to the Demanding Gods of Automobile Dependency and Sprawl
The U.S. has much higher traffic fatality rates than peer countries due to automobile dependency and sprawl. Better planning can reduce these human sacrifices.
Trump: Federal Government Won’t Pay for California HSR
The President has targeted federal funding for the California bullet train project since his first administration.
San Francisco Enhances Urban Planning Initiatives with Green Infrastructure
San Francisco incorporates green infrastructure in its city development initiatives, elevating the importance of sustainability in urban planning.
Chicago Approves Green Affordable Housing Plan
The Mayor’s plan calls for creating a nonprofit housing corporation tasked with building affordable housing that meets Green Building standards.
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.
Tyler Technologies
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
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