The credit rating agency Standard & Poor's released a report that raises the threat level on the trend of earthquakes in areas around Oklahoma and Texas.
Robert Wilonsky reports that Standard & Poor's is concerned about the implications of the growing frequency and strength of earthquakes in Texas and Oklahoma, believed by many to be a result of the oil extraction method known as fracking.
According to Wilonsky, "[l]ast week the S&P published an analysis titled 'How Fracking And Earthquakes Could Open Fissures In Credit Quality.' That’s a fairly to-the-point title. The piece was co-authored by Dallas-based analyst Andrew Foster, and is the S&P’s first-ever look at how gas and oil drilling are — pardon, could be — impacting the both the nation’s 'physical backdrop' and “credit trends across the country.'"
Another frank statement from the report, as quoted in the article, explains that the "earthquake trend…will continue to have sharp economic consequences for home and business owners, mortgage lenders, insurance companies, and investors exposed to real estate in earthquake affected areas."
The rest of the article goes into detail about the ongoing research into the cause and risks of the spate of earthquakes in Texas, Oklahoma, and other areas with fracking operations.
FULL STORY: S&P: North Texas’ ‘man-made’ earthquakes could have ‘sharp economic consequences’

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.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont