Planner and author Jeff Speck pays a visit to Lowell, Massachusetts, and tells an audience to tear down their civic center. "If you don't tear it down now, it will become protected in 10 years," says Speck. "Tear it down now."
Speck also found a lot of promise in the city, ranging from the flocks of students that fill the streets each day to the series of historic canals.
"If you are looking to transform your city, the most obvious way to turn your historic canal network into an urban network," he said, suggesting that the city try to purchase the canals from the various entities that own them and use them as a centerpiece of the downtown the way they are used on the Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas or in Providence, R.I."
FULL STORY: TIME TO LIVEN UP, LOWELL: Urban planner shares brainstorm for a vibrant downtown

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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