After years of boom-and-bust economic see-sawing, the city of Anchorage, Alaska, is showing signs of steady growth and economic stability.
"In a city where fashion has always played a distant second to staying warm, a cluster of boutiques in the budding 'SoNo' district, south of Nordstrom, does a brisk business in $50 lotions and $180 designer jeans - just one of many signs that this once unruly oil-boom town has been tamed."
"Strip malls replace strip clubs, big-box stores draw more customers than bars and residential neighborhoods have supplanted RV parks that once sprawled across the state's most populous city."
"The years of oil-fueled booms and busts have given way to two decades of steady growth, as Anchorage's economy has expanded to include burgeoning retail, health-care and tourist industries. Since the mid-1990s, its air-cargo hub has become one of the three largest in the world."
FULL STORY: Wildlife in growing Anchorage likely to sport designer coat

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

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.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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