How do Utah & the West support population growth without sacrificing living standards?
A condensed look at smart growth in Utah and the West. First part of a four-part series investigation conducted by Utah Stories on the problems suburban sprawl has caused in reducing living standards along the Wasatch front and elsewhere. The story links suburban sprawl with the very poor air quality in Salt Lake City and also the obesity epidemic (caused by lack of walkable destinations and long commute times).
The story examines how the strong push for affordable housing in distant suburbs has has a negative impact freeway traffic and commuting times. The investigation examines how and why the Utah state legislature continues to support ever-widening freeway construction which has only proved to ad to the problem.
Read the full story: Smart Growth in Utah and the West
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.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
In Texas, data centers are swallowing promised parkland
Residents who moved to Taylor, Texas for a rural community now have to contend with three data centers in their backyard.
How a Chicago-sized wind farm beat the odds and powered on
The project spanned five presidential administrations and a standoff with a U.S. military base.
MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court
The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.
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