Officials in Paris plan to unveil sketches of high-rise developments proposed for the outer rings of the city -- a development type nearly two-thirds of Parisians oppose. Many argue that the aesthetic focus shortchanges social concerns in the city.
"Two years after riots swept through the tower blocks of the Paris suburbs, mayor Bertrand Delanoe will unveil on Wednesday artists' impressions of skyscrapers planned for three areas within the capital's ringroad. 'The drawings are just sketches. None of the plans will actually come to fruition,' claimed Socialist city planning councillor Jean-Pierre Caffet, in response to a survey in which 63 per cent of Parisians said they were opposed to high-rises."
"But opposition politicians, led by Francoise de Panafieu who will challenge the Socialist Delanoe in elections in March, claim the authorities want to 'trick' Parisians by floating the idea and hoping it gains ground. Even the Greens, who are the Socialists' allies in power, are unhappy. Rene Dutrey, head of the Green group at the Council of Paris, said: 'I do not understand the approach. The city hall has shown us drawings and asked us whether we find the blocks beautiful. Before you choose packaging, you have to decide on content. Parisians need social housing and green spaces, not commercial centres near roads.'"
FULL STORY: High-rise vision sparks Paris revolt

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

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

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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