Be a citizen, not just a consumer.
Scott Doyon talks about people's reaction to the redevelopment of a beloved tavern in his city: "Reacting in oh-so-predictable knee-jerk fashion to the usual melange of click-baity headlines, insufficient detail, and news posts missing the nuance of the story, people went nuts."
"Evil developers! No respect for history! Density, density, density! No matter, I thought. The story will get clarified and people will come to recognize that, rather than a curse, what we’re witnessing is a blessing that will not only help endow the tavern’s next century, it will replace an acre of asphalt car storage with both people and neighborhood-serving commercial enterprise. In short, it will deliver all the things people keep saying they want."
"But I was wrong. Even as the story’s details got ironed out, people were still angry in ways I just couldn’t fathom."
Doyon goes on to talk about NIMBYs' frozen-in-amber delusion and how to navigate through to placemaking.
FULL STORY: We’re all complicit in change. So now what?

Amtrak Ramping Up Infrastructure Projects
Thanks to federal funding from the 2021 infrastructure act, the agency plans to triple its investment in infrastructure improvements and new routes in the next two years.

The Unceremonious Death of a Freeway Expansion Project
The end of an Oregon freeway project didn't get much fanfare, but the victory is worth celebrating.

Ending Downtown San Francisco’s ‘Doom Loop’
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Kaua’i County Uses Long-Range Models to Mandate Resiliency Standards
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California Governor Vetoes Autonomous Truck Ban
Gov. Newsom called the new law unnecessary, citing existing efforts by state regulators to develop new rules around autonomous trucking.

Low-Barrier Motel Shelter Is a Success—But Not an Easy One
Many guests at Motels4Now are on their second or third stays—but staff say that's doesn't equal failure, and the numbers bear that out.
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