The Electronic Policy Network rounds up the best recent developments in the sprawl debate, with links to the latest research and reports.
The concept of "urban sprawl" is often likened to Justice Stewart's take on obscenity: hard to define, easy to recognize. Sprawl is in the headlines a lot these days, making the cover of National Geographic's July issue and as the subject of a report on New Community Design by the National Governors Association. Those who claim to "know it when they see it" often point to certain common denominators as both the causes and consequences of sprawl: dependence on the automobile, inefficient use of natural resources, and the strict separation of residential and commercial areas. Recently, however, researchers have begun to challenge much of the conventional wisdom about the forces that fuel sprawl.
Thanks to Joanna Mareth
FULL STORY: Rethinking Sprawl

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.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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