As the Golden Gate Bridge approaches its 75th anniversary, John King pens an incisive comparison between the arguments against the bridge's original construction and those that have challenged subsequent high-profile projects.
Seeing common ground between the arguments raised against the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge eight decades ago - "We need more details, the details we do have can't be trusted, and there are better alternatives" - and efforts to derail high-profile projects such as the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system and California's proposed high-speed rail, King observes that "little has changed in terms of the attacks that are aimed at major alterations to the landscape..."
"If there's a moral to the story of the birth of the Golden Gate Bridge, it's that there are times when change within a city, region or state comes at an exponential scale. On such occasions, the cultural status quo is threatened."
"This doesn't mean that skeptics of big plans are small-minded. Some large projects should not be built. But the what-ifs and worst-case scenarios can blind us to the fact that projects of a certain scale often reshape the landscape in ways we can't imagine. And sometimes, the landscape is the better as a result."
FULL STORY: Golden Gate Bridge construction - and indignation
California Ushers in New Rail Age
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HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City
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BART Closes $35 Million Deficit
Cost control and revenue generation measures prevented service cuts.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
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Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
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Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing
A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.
Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
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LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.
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