The only remaining active Shaker community in the world has teamed up with 10 other conservation and preservation groups to curb sprawl and preserve their heritage.
The Shakers today must contend with a modern problem confronting all farmers in southern Maine: suburban sprawl driving up land values and property taxes.
Sprawl means much of the Shaker land is taxed for its potential to sprout subdivisions, not crops. So the four remaining members of the last active Shaker community in the world are struggling to pay high taxes - more than $27,000 last year - in addition to their expenses for daily living and other costs. Those include maintaining the society's library and museum and the upkeep of 19 historic but fragile buildings in their village - the newest of which was built in 1910.
"We may be simple, but our lives are not," said Brother Arnold Hadd.
Thanks to Mike Lydon
FULL STORY: Sprawl stops here
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)