Environmentalists in Russia are fuming over plans to construct a resort in the middle of a nature preserve near the 2014 Winter Olympics host city of Sochi.
"But environmental organizations claim that the Kremlin is sending in middlemen to Russia's warm shore to build a holiday resort with a view of the sea and an idyllic bay -- right in the center of the protected Bolshoi Utrish nature reserve, established in 2001 under then-President Vladimir Putin.
...Environmentalists charge forces in Moscow are meddling in the project -- not least among them Russia's Environment Ministry. The ministry has tried to re-draw the boundaries of the nature reserve and move the construction site out of protected territory, said Igor Chestin, head of the Russian branch of natural conservation group WWF. The Kremlin body, he said, has expressed a "clear interest" in the project."
Environmentalists there are fighting the development, and judges have already stopped construction on a road being built through the middle of the preserve.
FULL STORY: Environmentalists Seethe Over Russian Luxury Dachas
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
Santa Clara County Dedicates Over $28M to Affordable Housing
The county is funding over 600 new affordable housing units via revenue from a 2016 bond measure.
Why a Failed ‘Smart City’ Is Still Relevant
A Google-backed proposal to turn an underused section of Toronto waterfront into a tech hub holds relevant lessons about privacy and data.
When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing
Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions