Mayor Villaraigosa of L.A. and Mayor Chuck Reed of San Jose have both spoken publicly against Governor Jerry Brown's plan to eliminate all of the state's redevelopment agencies to save cash.
Dakota Smith at Curbed LA reports on Villaraigosa's statement:
"Mayor Villaraigosa criticized the redevelopment plan in a statement, saying that "Los Angeles is prepared to shoulder its fair share of the responsibility, but any scenario that would completely eliminate the Redevelopment Zones and State Enterprise Zones is a non-starter.""
While the San Jose Mercury News reports that Reed is also not happy:
""The governor appears not to understand how job creation and job growth happen at the local level, because he is preparing to take away the most important tools we have,'' said San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed."
But Brown's proposal has quite a bit of support from people like State Assemblyman Chris Norby.
Read the full story: Mayor Villaraigosa, CRA Head Essel Speak Out Against Plan to Shut Redevelopment Agencies
Reclaiming Malls: How About a High-Speed Rail Station?
A Texas mall that opened in 1968 and largely closed ten months ago has been picked by Texas Central Partners as the Houston terminal of the Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail. The site is far from downtown and distant from public transit.
Life, Death, and Repurposing of the Great American Mall
A PBS Newshour economic correspondent visits the sites of former malls in Ohio and Massachusetts, some successfully repurposed, others in construction, and one in decay, speaking with economic experts along the way about the future of the mall.
Saving the Mall By Returning to Its Ideals
Stephanie Clifford documents the extraordinary lengths malls across the country are going to in hopes of attracting customers in the face of e-commerce and a battered economy.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
NYC to turn city-owned property into thousands of homes
The city has scheduled a public hearing regarding the development for October.
Buses travel at 5mph along this route in NYC. The Bronx's first-ever busway looks to change that
Prior to the busway, buses on the Bx36 route traveled as slowly as 5 miles per hour.
Pittsburg launches 'EZ permits,' aims for one-day turnaround for low-risk permits
The pilot ‘fast lane’ for permits is part of a bundle of modernization efforts for Pittsburg’s permitting process.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello