The euphemism refers to a cost-saving measure that's happening even in central districts, to the chagrin of residents. This reversion to gravel roads is one manifestation of a looming local infrastructure deficit.
On some streets in Omaha, Mitch Smith writes, the city is simply unpaving heavily potholed streets in response to a $300 million backlog on road repairs. This follows a long period of repair delays. "For years, an uneasy truce persisted: Public works crews would fill potholes and perform other maintenance work on those roads, but insisted that residents pay if they wanted repaving."
City Hall justifies this stance by stating that many of these suburban roads were low-quality to begin with. "Omaha's policy on unimproved roads is a matter of equity. When the houses were built two generations ago with subpar streets [...] the builder and homeowner saved money."
All of this has residents in an uproar, and some have taken legal action. Reputation is one factor: as central Omaha improves in many ways, unpaving streets looks bad.
Omaha's example is extreme, but similar backpedalling is happening elsewhere too. "In Youngstown, Ohio, officials closed off some uninhabited streets. In Gary, Ind., some of the city's parks could close — a process city officials call 'renaturing' — after years of neglect. And in one Michigan county, a deteriorating bridge was torn down, not replaced."
FULL STORY: Omaha’s Answer to Costly Potholes? Go Back to Gravel Roads
America's Infrastructural Reckoning
Through the lens of Henry Petroski's new book, Tom Vanderbilt discusses why infrastructure, as we have come to define it, is such a fraught topic in American life.
Crack in Bridge Connecting Arkansas to Tennessee Comes With Consequences, Debate
Goods movement on the Mississippi River, as well as truck traffic on a key interstate, has ground to a halt after a crack was discovered last week in a bridge on Interstate 40 connecting to Memphis.
Roads and Bridges Are Not Crumbling
Rebutting the argument that roads and bridges are "crumbling" and should be our first infrastructure priority.
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.
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands
An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
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
Town of Zionsville
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.
