Alex Marshall on Seattle's advancing monorail project.
"Over the heads of the planners, the politicians and the business leaders, Seattle residents have come up with a plan, designed a system and then funded it -- in three separate referendums. Its an amazing act of civic chutzpah. The projects eventual success or failure bears watching, because it raises the question of whether citizens can play the game of infrastructure development more directly, and not just give thumbs up or down to what the experts come up with."
Thanks to Zvi Leve
FULL STORY: Seattle's Monorail Project: Will Civic Chutzpah Prevail?

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.

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

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

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.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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