The Department of Energy is proposing to construct massive "energy corridors", land designated solely for the purpose of energy conduction like oil, hydrogen and electricity.
"Energy production and distribution is a problem in the United States. To help solve the problem, the federal government has proposed the creation of energy corridors, areas of land where the infrastructure needed to move energy resources including hydrogen, oil, natural gas, and electricity will be constructed. According to Nada Culver, senior counsel in the Wilderness Society's Denver office, "Once designated, the corridors (averaging 3,500 feet wide but ranging up to five miles in width) will cover 6,000 miles and almost three million acres of public lands. Areas within the designated corridors are essentially deemed appropriate for pipelines and power lines, with expedited construction applications and limited environmental review." The official goal of the proposed corridors is to improve the reliability and availability of energy resources specifically in the Western U.S. Though the government's proposal-called the West-wide Energy Corridor project-may help provide energy to the states where the corridors are proposed, the government intends to construct them in federally protected lands, launching a debate over whether the corridors can be created in such a way that they avoid protected areas while taking local concerns into account."

Good Planning Under Bad Leadership
Planners must sometimes work under bad leadership. Here are suggestions for responsive planning in challenging political environments.

Legendary Parking Guru Donald Shoup Dies at 86
Urbanists are mourning the loss of a dynamic voice for parking reform and walkable cities.

Amtrak Cascades Line Breaks Ridership Record
The route linking Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC served nearly one million riders in 2024.

Over 71K Office-to-Apartment Units in the Pipeline for 2025
Adaptive reuse projects are continuing to bring thousands of new housing units onto the market as demand for office space remains low.

How Houston Can Be a Model for Housing Reform
The city builds more new housing than almost any other and has dramatically reduced homelessness, yet low-income families struggle to find affordable housing.

Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
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