Less than 24 hours after a structural engineer deemed the building unsafe, Sohel Rana ordered garment workers back on the job.
A 400-page, high-level government report on Rana Plaza, the collapsed Dhaka garment factory, which killed more than 1,000 workers, faults the mayor for approving inadequate building plans and the owner for forcing workers to return to work in the building after the structure began to crack.
The lead investigator on the report suggested that city officials may have accepted bribes during the approval process for the building, writes Jim Yardley.
The report recommends that the factory owner, who is also reported to have added unapproved, additional floors to the structure and loaded them with heavy power generators, stand trial. His sentence could lead to life in prison.
The billion-dollar garment industry in Bangladesh, with over 5,000 factories, is second only to China's.
FULL STORY: Report on deadly factory collapse in Bangladesh finds widespread blame

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

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.

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.

Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower
A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.

Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”
The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.
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