The Wall Street Journal investigates what it takes to create a 'natural' backyard.
Talk about the greening of America. This spring, homeowners are calling in landscapers in numbers right out of the big-spending '90s...We asked designers at three price levels -- low, medium and high -- to come up with a plan for our two-acre Connecticut home. We got a lesson on drainage from a place called Vinny's, talked "hardscape" with a midrange pro, and discovered our "palette" of woodland shrubs from a landscape architect whose usual clients spend more on retaining walls than we paid for our home. We even got tips from someone who calls himself America's first 'exterior decorator.'" Editor's note: To read the full text of this article, you will need a wsj.com subscription.
Thanks to Chris Steins
FULL STORY: Landscapers Charge Big Money To Give Lawns 'Natural' Look

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

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.

As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.

With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
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