600 feet below Manhattan is one of the biggest urban infrastructure projects in history, yet most city residents do not even know about this 50-year water project.
"Vinnie the Mole is digging the massive second phase of City Tunnel No. 3, a 60-mile tunnel that began in the Bronx in 1970 and is scheduled for completion in 2020. By then, the tunnel will be able to handle the roughly one billion gallons of water a day used in New York City that originates from rural watersheds to points throughout the city."
"Although the tunnel is one of the largest urban projects in history, few people will ever see it. But beginning next week, many New Yorkers will certainly feel and hear the construction, said Michael Abbaszadeh, an engineer who is overseeing the project. Next Monday, workers will embark on a yearlong regimen of dynamite blasting throughout Midtown and Lower Manhattan to create nine water supply shafts designed to connect the water tunnel to mains under city streets and to provide workers access to the tunnels."
FULL STORY: Chipping at Bedrock for 50 Years to Keep the City's Faucets Working

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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