The Urban Land Institute's recent report on infrastructure finds fault with the government's lack of planning and vision in regards to infrastructure. 'It's a stupid way to run a country,' says ULI V.P. Maureen MacAvey.
"The report, "Pivot Point," highlights how China, India, and Europe have invested heavily in modern infrastructure over recent decades, while the U.S. has coasted on its own prosperity, content with patching and repairing its outdated bridges, roads, and other transit and water projects.
"We will not continue to be a major world power if we can't get goods in and out of the country in an efficient, productive way," ULI executive vice president for initiatives, Maureen McAvey, tells ARCHITECT. "And the more we waste time in congestion on our roads, in having inadequate ports and inadequate delivery systems, and having congested airports-that's all loss of productivity."
The ULI's hope is for transit systems to be linked across jurisdictions and for transportation and land use to be integrated. Often, "there's no easy way of getting from A to B, and those are all trips on the road," McAvey says, which, in addition to causing congestion, means more carbon released into the air."
FULL STORY: Weekly Federal Update: April 27-May 1, 2009

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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