For 4,000 residents whose homes don't directly link to sewer mains in Portland, Oregon, the city has said that they will have to pay for any repairs needed on their sewer lines.
"Until now – and in a more aggressive way during the past three years – the city has been forcing homeowners who have party-line sewers, or sewers that are linked to a neighbor's line rather than to a sewer main, to abandon the lines when they need repair."
"They are telling people like Conroy to link their homes directly to a sewer main. But an estimated 4,000 people citywide have no adjacent sewer main to link to."
"Citizens in Portland have been spending thousands of dollars on solutions, in some cases financing on their own what are in essence public sewer projects. They face sums that cause sometimes impossible burdens. Meanwhile, a city plan to fix its sewer system's gaps is years away."
FULL STORY: Public good comes at private expense

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Vehicle-related Deaths Drop 29% in Richmond, VA
The seventh year of the city's Vision Zero strategy also cut the number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes by half.

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.

A Case for Universal Rental Assistance
A pair of researchers argues that expanding rental assistance programs for low-income households is the most effective way to alleviate the housing crisis.

Office Conversions Have Increased Every Year This Decade
Since the pandemic, office vacancy rates remain high, leading many cities to adjust zoning codes to accommodate adaptive reuse.

Index Measures Impact of Heat on Pedestrian Activity
When heat and humidity are high, people are more likely to opt for cars when possible.
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