By unanimous vote, Ottawa's city council approved the contract to build a $2.1 billion light rail system for the Canadian capital this week, reports David Reevely. The vote comes after the failure of a similarly bold rail plan approved six years ago.
If all goes as planned, the residents of Ottawa will be hopping on board the 12.5-kilometer "Confederation Line" at one of 13 stations in 2018. Because a $725-million rail plan that city council approved in 2006 fell victim to shifting political winds, on the day of the most recent vote "the ghost of rail plans past haunted the council chamber," says Reevely
But rather than dwell on past failures, the councillors instead focused on the expected impact the rail project will have on the city. “Today we start a process of change and a process of growth … from a small-medium-sized city, to a big city,” Alta Vista Coun. Peter Hume said.
““This is a project for our city. It’s a project for my kids, and for their kids,” Knoxdale-Merivale’s Keith Egli said.
"Even at its peak," writes Reevely, "the last project got only about two-thirds support from the politicians of the day and never finally secured federal funding — which, for this project, arrived mid-meeting in the hands of Ottawa-Orléans MP Royal Galipeau, who bore two copies of a funding agreement signed by Transportation Minister Denis Lebel."
“You’re going to be proud that we have helped create a transportation system that will be the envy of many cities around the world, not just Canada,” mayor Jim Watson told the council.
FULL STORY: Ottawa train contract gets 24-0 approval from council

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions