This week Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas submitted permits to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to build a 550-mile natural gas pipeline across three mid-Atlantic states.
The controversial pipeline project would primarily deliver natural gas from West Virginia to rural eastern North Carolina, where access to natural gas is limited. The companies say the project will help lower energy costs, stimulate economic growth, and create jobs. Opponents—particularly in Virginia—say the project could impact water quality, disrupt forest habitat, and mar the Shenandoah Valley’s historic and picturesque landscape, which contributes to tourism, outdoor recreation, and related industries.
According to application materials, reduced energy costs would save consumers and businesses in Virginia and North Carolina $377 million annually, create more than 2,200 full-time, permanent jobs, and generate $25 million in annual local tax revenue. The project would cost $5 billion to construct, and initially carry 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. The target completion date is late 2018.
FULL STORY: Atlantic Coast Pipeline could lower energy costs, create jobs
The Cities that Most Resemble Each Other
A fun activity in city comparison.
More Evidence that Bay Area Housing Prices Are Hurting the Economy
Beacon Economics projects a slowdown in job growth in the San Francisco Bay Area due to the region's high housing costs.
Arts Compose a Healthy Economy in Philadelphia
Stephan Salisbury details how the cultural sector in Philadelphia has grown to support the region's economic vitality.
Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.
Minneapolis Housing Plan a Success—Not for the Reason You Think
Housing advocates praise the city’s move to eliminate single-family zoning by legalizing triplexes on single-family lots, but that isn’t why housing construction is growing.
‘Mega-Landlords’ Threaten Housing Stability for Renters
As institutional investors buy up a larger share of single-family homes, the families renting them are increasingly vulnerable to rent increases and eviction.
Short-Term Rentals Vex Dallas City Council
Residents complain that vacation rentals exacerbate the city’s housing shortage and bring traffic and noise to residential neighborhoods, calling on the city to impose—and enforce—stricter regulations.
Traffic Fatalities Set Records as Pandemic-Era Road Carnage Shows No Signs of Stopping
An estimated 42,915 people died in automobile crashes in 2021, according to recent federal data. The increasing fatalities continue a trend that began with the outset of the pandemic.
Driver Shortage Undercuts the Potential of L.A.’s Recent Bus System Redesign
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority implemented a complete overhaul of its bus system in three waves over the course of 2021. A shortage of drivers for the system has made it impossible to implement that vision.
County of Sonoma
City of Malibu
EMC Planning Group Inc.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Redwood City
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
