Oregon is experimenting with a new urban village in Orenco. Right now it's just a field of grass with a railway station. Is this planning, or fantasy?
Alan Ehrenhalt, executive editor of Governing magazine and author of "The Lost City" writes a New York times Op-Ed that Orenco is actually the latest in a string of closely watched New Urbanist experiments. In the 1980's, there was Seaside, the small Victorian re-creation on the north Florida Gulf Coast. In the late 1990's, there was Celebration, the Disney-backed traditional town built from scratch near Orlando. All told, there have been several dozen efforts in various parts of the country to establish or retrofit communities in a traditional direction, with walkable streets, downtown shopping, front porches and the numerous other accoutrements of New Urbanist values and ideas.
Thanks to Laura Krafft
Read the full story: Suburbs With a Healthy Dose of Fantasy
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.
LAX SkyLink opening delayed again, contractor won’t commit to new deadline
The project was supposed to open its doors to the public in 2023.
Caltrain may slash over one-third of its stations
If Bay Area voters reject two transit tax measures, Caltrain, BART and AC Transit will see steep service cuts.
A 'dangerous' precedent: North Carolina successfully pressures communities into voting for toll roads
Two mayors resigned from the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization after it voted in favor of the toll roads.
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 Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello