Henry Grabar argues that the United States has already too many roads, and the burden of maintenance costs and the sprawl encouraged by road-building should make new roads and bridges the country's last priority.

National politicians on both sides of the political spectrum have come out in favor of an infrastructure bill to build more roads and bridges. Meanwhile, some worry that more roads mean more cars, more sprawl and more maintenance. "Gravel is good. It’s cheaper than concrete and often has lower maintenance costs," Henry Grabar argues in Slate.
Garbar argues that the president's proposed infrastructure legislation, if it ever gets written, might sound like a bit of bi-partisan relief from a the contentious times the country is experiencing, but that new roads would not put the country in a better place. He says the United States is in, "…an unprecedented maintenance crisis, in addition to facilitating sprawl, harming the environment, undermining Main Street commerce, and draining local budgets." Not only because politicians are not adequately taking care of the roads they already have, but also because, "In and around cities, road mileage has grown at exactly twice the rate of population," Garbar writes.
FULL STORY: No More Roads

Four ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’ Zoning Reforms
An excerpt from the latest book on zoning argues for four approaches to reform that can immediately improve land use regulation in the United States.

Houston Apartments To Be Demolished for Freeway Widening
Despite a federal hold on the controversial freeway widening project, the Texas Department of Transportation is pushing ahead with the demolition of an apartment complex in downtown Houston.

San Francisco Just Ended Single-Family Zoning
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to Tuesday to eliminate single-family zoning, but pro-development advocates say additional changes are needed to unleash a wave of construction.

California Budget Includes $4.2 Billion for High-Speed Rail
The recently approved state budget directs $4.2 billion in bond funding to the Bakersfield-to-Merced leg of California’s long-awaited high-speed rail project.

Biden’s Environmental Legacy (So Far)
President Biden campaigned on promises to restore many of the environmental regulations rolled back by the previous administration, while promising new efforts to tackle environmental injustice and climate change.

Help! Not Police! Crisis Responses That Avert Police Calls
Cities, court systems, citizen groups, and affordable housing operators are crafting ways of responding to emergencies that reduce the risk of negative police interactions.
Grand Valley Metropolitan Council
City of Bothell
Town of San Anselmo
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
City of Apache Junction
City of Helena
Gallatin County, Montana
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
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