Metro Atlanta's boom probably won't last unless state and local leaders tackle the worsening traffic and begin investing in public transit.
"Atlanta's renaissance as a vibrant urban core is nothing short of remarkable. Nearly every neighborhood close to downtown shows signs of commercial and residential vitality, including the once-neglected district near the old Atlanta-Fulton County stadium. With sidewalk cafes (heck, with sidewalks), loft conversions and an influx of middle-class residents, intown Atlanta exudes, at last, a certain cosmopolitan flair."
"Of course, this splendid revival hasn't come without a price. The influx of new residents has brought the area's familiar curse - more traffic. Given that the city's leaders have done so much right, it seems they ought to be able to do more to get the city on the road to better transit. They should be able to persuade the General Assembly to pass a bill allowing the Atlanta region to vote to increase its taxes to pay for transportation improvements."
"Unless the metro area can do something about traffic, the region will start to lose its appeal...Even those cute intown neighborhoods will be less charming if their streets are clogged with cars."
Read the full story: We're headed for urban greatness — if we can tame traffic
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment
The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.
Satanic place names
From streams and lakes to valleys and canyons, I mapped more than 1,000 places named after the Devil.
California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO resigns after $600,000 scandal
Under Ian Choudri, the authority used taxpayer dollars to fund first class flights and trips to nightclubs.
Want to study the Missouri River? Soon, you may need unanimous approval from 10 states
Legislation would require 10 governors’ permission to study or build projects moving water outside the basin.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority