"South Korea is the latest country to decide that it needs to build a new capital city. It has some good reasons for doing so, but history suggests it may not be such a great idea"
Though Seoul has been the Korean capital since the fourteeth century, crowding in the city, feelings that its dominance hinders development in the rest of the country, and its proximity to the tense border with North Korea, have led to debates about moving the capital since the 1970s. Current South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun made relocation of the capital a pledge in his 2002 election campaign. And while parliament approved plans for a move last year, the President is now facing strong opposition to the move. The article examines some of the key issues and draws on the examples of other countries (including a nascent United States) to demonstrate the challenges and benefits of building a new center of government.
"'Londoners may be all too aware of the disadvantages of living in a city without a plan, but these cannot be compared with the rival disadvantages of living in a plan without a city.'"
Thanks to Eric Arzola
FULL STORY: The pros and cons of capital flight

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

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

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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