County officials are moving forward with four mega-projects designed to improve downtown Miami. Critics wonder if they will really benefit the taxpayer.
"Miami-Dade commissioners continued a lightning-quick march Tuesday toward a massive face-lift for downtown Miami, voting to help finance four major projects worth billions of dollars.
After eight hours of debate, commissioners voted 9-4 to adopt a pact with Miami to extend the life and boundaries of the city's Community Redevelopment Agencies as a way to spur a wide array of projects.
Among them: building a tunnel from Watson Island to the Port of Miami, creating a museum park, paying off hundreds of millions in construction debt at the Performing Arts Center and generating millions in affordable housing in Overtown.
'Today,' said Commissioner Katy Sorenson, a longtime stadium critic, 'I think we have the opportunity to embark on greatness, and we have to take the leap of faith.'"
FULL STORY: Miami makeover passes county test

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.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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