Isn't it great when our gridlocked government can finally come together to unanimously support vital legislation? That was the case in the Alabama state legislature last month when Senate Bill 477 passed both chambers unanimously.
According to George Altman, the bill, sponsored by Sen. Gerald Dial, R-Lineville, "is intended to shelter Alabamians from the United Nations Agenda 21, a sustainable development initiative that some conservatives see as a Trojan horse for the creation of a world government."
Thanks to Lloyd Alter at TreeHugger for bringing this first-in-the-nation legislation to our attention. As Alter notes, "The wording of the Alabama legislation acts to 'bar the state from taking over private property without due process,' which is pretty vague."
"But no doubt every proposal for smart growth, transit, higher density housing, heritage preservation, wetlands or forest preservation, shoreline preservation or environmental protection will now be bogged down in Alabama and challenged as part of the Agenda 21. Let's toss in birth control as well."
After passing both chambers unanimously, the legislation was signed into law by Republican Governor Robert Bentley late last month.
FULL STORY: United Nations Agenda 21 bill passes Legislature
Glenn Beck Plans His Ideal City
The conservative commentator has proposed a $2 billion "city-theme park hybrid" that "would bring several of Glenn’s seemingly disconnected projects into one place." You'll be surprised at the similarities with certain Smart Growth principles.
Are Planners the Victims of a Dastardly Mind-Control Plot?
If you've ever led a public planning process you may be complicit in perpetuating a diabolical conspiracy to coerce Americans into accepting "a United Nations-run communist dictatorship in which suburbanites will be forcibly relocated to cities."
Arizona Activist Defends Planning from Tea Party Assault
Greg Hanscom profiles Stacey Champion, an environmental consultant and PR specialist who uncovered, and defeated, shady efforts to ban sustainability planning in Arizona.
Which Cities Are Upzoning?
A recent study surveyed 800 jurisdictions in 50 U.S. metropolitan areas to quantify the amount of change in zoning regulations throughout the 21st century so far.
RAISE Grants Announced: U.S. DOT Shifts to a Greener Vision for Transportation
News broke early this morning the U.S. Department of Transportation had announced the first round of funding for the Biden administration's new discretionary grant funding program.
Land Costs and Housing Costs
One common argument against upzoning is that it increases land costs—but land costs rose in the most restrictive markets as well as the least restrictive ones.
Arlington County Government
Jon Stover & Associates
University of California San Diego
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Royal Oak, Michigan
City of San Carlos
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
