An op-ed column discusses benefits and costs of wind energy -- the newly developing industry behind it, the tax breaks it receives, and the logic or NIMBYism of opponents.
Are windmills eyesores, or signs of modernity? Do they affect property values? Should government mandate siting standards for wind generators?
Although recently rising energy costs have created a buzz in the market for alternative and renewable energy sources, some players are not yet convinced. Opponents of windpower call it "...an aesthetic blight, a source of noise pollution, a murderer of birds and bats. As for the still-young wind industry, it is an environmental plunderer, with its hirelings and parasites using a few truths and the politics of wishful thinking to frame a house of lies."
Op-ed columnist Anne Applebaum argues that such oppositions "...reflect a deeper American malady. The problem plaguing new energy developments is no longer NIMBYism, the 'Not-In-My-Back-Yard' movement. The problem now, as one wind-power executive puts it, is BANANAism: 'Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything.'"
Will other greener alternatives face the same opposition?
FULL STORY: Tilting at Windmills
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.
In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?
Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing
Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.
Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive
Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.
Car Designs Make it Harder to See Pedestrians
Blind spots created by thicker pillars built to withstand rollover crashes are creating dangerous conditions for people outside vehicles.
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie