A development company has agreed to donate 4,000 acres of land to create a large, international airport in the Florida Panhandle, a controversial move they hope will bring enough people and economic activity to support the houses they plan to build.
"A supersized $330 million airport is planned for the piney wilderness about 20 miles from downtown Panama City, big enough to handle international flights, Air Force One and even the giant Airbus A380. It will have more acreage than La Guardia in New York and Newark Liberty International combined."
"But the airport has a supporter that carries extraordinary weight in the region, the St. Joe Company, the largest private landowner in Florida. The company, a onetime paper producer that has switched to developing resort communities, wants to donate 4,000 of its 774,000 mostly rural acres for the project. In return, St. Joe hopes the airport will help lure wealthy homebuyers to the Panhandle, which it is marketing as 'Florida's Great Northwest.'"
"The airport is at the center of a growing debate over whether to keep the Panhandle relatively quiet or to seek the kind of development that has made other parts of Florida vibrant, if teeming, hubs of sprawl. Opponents of the airport plan call it corporate welfare, with taxpayers getting the bill for a project that would mostly help a single developer."
FULL STORY: In a Quiet Part of Florida, a Bid to Bring in the Crowds
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.
LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.
Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the city will develop a plan to close 500 streets to car traffic and add new bike and pedestrian infrastructure after a referendum on the proposal passed with 66 percent of the vote.
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.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
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NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service