Is emiment domain a valuable redevelopment tool or a way for government to intimidate landowners?
Critics of redevelopment say there's an inherent conflict in a partnership between a governmental agency and a private developer. However, California officials say redevelopment remains a valuable tool to combat blight and breathe economic vitality into rundown, decaying neighborhoods.
The concept of eminent domain - also known as condemnation - started off as the government's right to take private property for public use. Public-use projects include schools, highways and courthouses.
The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution stipulates that governments pay "just compensation" to land owners.
But in the years following World War II, courts changed the requirement of "public use" to one of "public purpose," and local and state governments began condemning slums in the interest of eliminating blight. "
Thanks to g edward freeman
FULL STORY: Property rights and wrongs

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
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Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
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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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