A new bridge completed this month is a key element in a $1.5 billion "superhighway" intended to bring economic development and the rule of law to a place now dominated by some of the country’s biggest illegal drug growers and gangsters.
Nick Miroff reports on plans for the 140-mile toll road that will link the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean and its Baluarte Bicentennial Bridge, the highest structure of its kind on the planet. "With its long white cables and graceful towers rising 587 feet at opposite ends of the precipice, it may be the most breathtaking structure built in Mexico since the pyramids went up at Teotihuacan circa A.D. 100."
For all the optimism about the economic opportunities and Mexican ingenuity that the highway represents, there are fears that the project will actually facilitate the illegal activities and violence it is intended to help eliminate.
"But just as the highway will make Durango and other states in Mexico's northwest interior attractive to foreign companies looking to build manufacturing plants, it will drive up the area's strategic importance for the traffickers, who often smuggle their U.S.-bound cargo in legitimate commercial loads."
FULL STORY: New bridge in Mexico loaded with big dreams
Limited Transit Access Stifling Memphis Economy
The city ranks low for transit access to jobs, limiting opportunities for local workers and businesses.
How Cities Can Leverage Financial Data for Smarter Urban Planning
Explore how cities can use financial data to enhance urban planning, improve budget allocation, and boost community services.
States Look to Eliminate Happy Hour Bans to Lure People Downtown
More than 20 states have laws banning or limiting happy hours at bars and restaurants. Now, some are revisiting these regulations in an effort to boost commerce in struggling downtown districts.
Seattle Legalizes Co-Living
A new state law requires all Washington cities to allow co-living facilities in areas zoned for multifamily housing.
NYC Officials Announce Broadway Pedestrianization Project
Two blocks of the marquee street will become mostly car-free public spaces.
The City of Broken Sidewalks
Can Los Angeles fix 4,000 miles of broken sidewalks before the city hosts the 2028 Olympic Games?
Housing as a Climate Resilience Strategy
Ensuring that housing, including in informal settlements, is safe and healthy for its residents is a key tool in the fight to build more sustainable and equitable communities in the face of climate migration.
Southeast LA Road Safety Advocates Call for Improved Infrastructure
Streets in southeastern Los Angeles County have a severe lack of protected bike lanes and traffic safety measures, leading to high numbers of fatalities in a community where many residents depend on walking and biking for daily needs.
USDOT: Low-Income Households Bear Highest Transportation Cost Burden
Transportation costs are the second-highest household expenditure behind housing for all income levels.
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 Prescott
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
Village of Glen Ellyn
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
CORP - COnsulting Research Projects
City of Cambridge, Maryland
Newport County Development Council: Connect Greater Newport
Rockdale County Board of Commissioners