Sewage issues in Ottawa are bringing attention to the significant infrastructure problems associated with sprawl.
"The genesis of the infrastructure mess plaguing cities is not very complicated. Municipal politicians and planners allowed cities to get too big, to sprawl, creating long distances to extend infrastructure from the core.
In Ottawa, roads, electrical lines and water mains cover huge swaths of geography to serve a spread out, density-poor population.
So when the city gets lots of snow as it did last winter, the snow-plowing budget goes through the roof. When the roads get too long, the hotpatching budget for filling potholes gets larger and larger. When the cost of asphalt increases, so too does the hotpatching bill. Then the long roads need rebuilding or repaving.
In recent weeks, infrastructure anxieties in Ottawa have focused on our inadequate sewer systems, which after heavy rains end up fouling our beaches and the river from which residents in parts of Eastern Ontario and West Quebec get their drinking water."
FULL STORY: Finally, we're talking sewage

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.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie