If local communities don't have funds to purchase desert lands as preserves, it's only a matter of time until they're developed.
"It's hard to envision this land filled with homes," says Truman, who has been farming in the shadow of the White Tanks since 1946. "Before, there wasn't a soul out here."But the tile rooftops of Surprise are already visible in the distance. The lavalike flow of development is creeping across desert land... In the West Valley, however, public money to buy desert land and preserve it is virtually non-existent. West Valley officials insist that by working with developers, they can preserve large amounts of land without having to buy it. But environmentalists fear the preservation movement that has so flourished in Scottsdale won't take root on the west side."
Thanks to Chris Steins
FULL STORY: Fighting W. Valley sprawl

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

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

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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