Caught between the end of the space shuttle and the potential rise of private sector spaceflight, Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center present a unique land use challenge.
As the literal launching pad for some of America's most famous achievements, Cape Canaveral now faces an uncertain future. Congress is not about to approve new manned spaceflight programs, and private space companies are still catching up to where NASA was almost 50 years ago. Meanwhile, the Kennedy Space Center lies mostly silent.
Anthony Flint discusses NASA's current multi-dimensional plans for the Florida expanse. While tourism is still a big draw, "NASA clearly wasn't ready to cede this territory completely over to nostalgia. It's all part of a larger political battle, almost willing Cape Canaveral into the future [...] Much of the activity has to do with a fundamental choice that NASA has made: to make facilities available to private sector space initiatives such as Space X."
There's also a green aspect to all of this. "Re-purposing buildings is a common theme here, for both financial and environmental efficiency. NASA dutifully went for LEED platinum rating at the Propellants Maintenance Facility. Over by the area used for testing vehicles on a simulated surface of the moon, solar arrays are being put up, joining a giant solar farm installed in 2008." We'll have to wait and see what's in store for the nation's spaceport.
FULL STORY: The Land-Use Reinvention of Cape Canaveral
Mars Perseverance Rover and the Future Colonization of Mars
The 2020s is the decade of Mars. Last week NASA's Perseverance rover became the sixth American robot to land on the red planet, and the third visitor this month. Where are we going with Mars, who will get us there, and what is the ultimate goal?
Towns Preparing for Eclipse Exodus
Monday’s solar eclipse will bring increased traffic to parts of the country in its path.
Train on the Moon? US to Explore Lunar Railway
Program proponents say this “visionary” endeavor “heralds a new era of human presence and economic activity beyond Earth.”
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
EV Infrastructure Booming in Suburbs, Cities Lag Behind
A lack of access to charging infrastructure is holding back EV adoption in many US cities.
Seattle Road Safety Advocates Say Transportation Levy Perpetuates Car-Centric Status Quo
Critics of a proposed $1.3 billion transportation levy say the package isn’t enough to keep up with inflation and rising costs and fails to support a shift away from car-oriented infrastructure.
Appeals Court: California Emissions Standards Upheld
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board, the nation's two most powerful environmental regulatory agencies, won an important round in federal court last week. But the emissions standards battle may not be over.
Barrett Planning Group LLC
City of Cleburne
KTUA Planning and Landscape Architecture
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
City of Laramie, Wyoming
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.
