Utah

Salt Lake City Suffers Streetcar Setback

After more than a decade of rail successes, the city that leads the nation in per-capita transit spending has experienced a transit setback. Early data for Salt Lake City's first streetcar line indicates much lower-than-expected ridership.

December 27, 2013 - The Salt Lake Tribune

Environmentalists Fight Feds Over Drilling in Utah's Treasured Public Lands

Utah's San Rafael Swell is the scene of an energy showdown between conservationists who want to preserve this unique landscape (potentially a national monument), private oil and gas companies that want to drill there, and the BLM that has to decide.

September 23, 2013 - The New York Times - U.S.

Meant to Deter, Utah's Bad Air Alerts Actually Increase Driving

Call it the law of unintended consequences. Alerts of "bad air days" that ask motorists in the Wasatch Front to reduce driving had the opposite effect, prompting some residents to drive away from lowlands to the mountains where air may be healthier.

September 12, 2013 - The Salt Lake Tribune

trax light rail train in foreground, snow-covered mountains in background

Utah Rail System Finishes Ahead of Schedule and $300 Million Under Budget

DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx and U.S. Senator Orin Hatch (R-Utah) attended the grand opening of the fifth and final rail line of Utah Transit Authority's (UTA) Frontlines 2015 Program, two years ahead of schedule and $300 million under budget.

August 21, 2013 - Deseret News

Back from the Dead? New Mall Revitalizes Downtown Salt Lake City

Wasn't the era of the shopping mall supposed to be over? City Creek Center, the retractable roof-topped luxury shopping center financed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is being credited with breathing new life into Salt Lake City.

July 18, 2013 - The New York Times

Salt Lake City Bucks Stereotypes to Lead Country in Transit Spending

It's remote, it's small, and it's situated in a decidedly red state. So why in the world does Salt Lake City lead the U.S. in per-capita transit spending? Angie Schmitt explains the city's unlikely story.

June 6, 2013 - DC.Streetsblog

Kigali Plan

Rwandan Town Takes Top Honors at CNU Charter Awards

A student project to radically rethink housing projects on New York’s Lower East Side and a holistic approach to a Rwandan village took top honors at the 2013 CNU Charter Awards, announced this week at CNU 21 in Salt Lake City.

May 31, 2013 - CNU

Granary District Coffee Klatsch

Development Done Well Is a Community Affair

Crowdsourcing is a great tool for locating potholes and taking surveys – but can it inspire an underdeveloped neighborhood to come together as a community? A developer in Salt Lake City is motivating residents to use DIY techniques in placemaking.

May 14, 2013 - Tim Halbur

As Natural Gas Prices Rise, Utilities Turn Toward Coal

An Ohio utility is switching to coal due to the rising price of natural gas, illustrating how sensitive fuel prices are to utilities. However, when it comes to building new plants - natural gas has the advantage due to coal's higher capital costs.

April 26, 2013 - The Columbus Dispatch

Bad Air Bedevils Utah

For a state that prides itself on being a nature lovers' paradise, a growing struggle with hazardous air pollution threatens Utah's very identity. Dan Frosch examines the factors contributing to the epidemic, and some of the proposed solutions.

February 25, 2013 - The New York Times

Could Induction Technology Transform Public Transit?

Induction charging, the same technology that allows you to juice up your cell phone without the need for cables, could be coming to a transit system near you. Could eliminating the need for catenary wires transform city streets?

December 4, 2012 - Wired

Can Urban Waterways Become the Next Great Public Spaces?

Cities across America have been revitalizing their waterfronts for decades with new parks and development replacing heavy industry. But, a new breed of advocates is going one step further, and pushing for a time when people can just jump right in.

September 17, 2012 - Salon

Battling For a Bite of the Apple

Matt Brian explores the incredible lengths retail property owners and local authorities are going to lure Apple Stores to their areas.

May 21, 2012 - The Next Web

Minority Births Now Majority

In another milestone demonstrating the coloring of America, the Census Bureau reported this week that 2011 saw 50.4% births of color. In addition to the ethnic make-up of the country, aging data was reported.

May 18, 2012 - USA Today - Census

Transit Project Brought in Under Budget

Not only is the Utah Transit Authority debuting two new light rail lines at the same time, they were brought in 20% under budget.

August 6, 2011 - The Source

New Transit Lines Open Early, Under Budget

New TRAX light rail lines in Salt Lake City opened a year early and 20% under budget.

August 4, 2011 - The Salt Lake Tribune

Land Art's Expired Lease Raises Questions

A recent bid to lease the land that houses Spiral Jetty, the iconic piece of landscape art by Robert Smithson, has raised questions about whether art on land can be owned and where the line between the two should lie.

July 15, 2011 - Reuters

Are Western Cities Immature?

Dennis Hincamp says Logan, Utah, where he lives, has an identity crisis when it comes to development, swinging wildly between pro-growth to NIMBY. He sees this as indicative of the relative youth of many cities in the American West.

July 5, 2011 - The Salt Lake Tribune

Neighbors Take Desire for Park Space Personally

A community in Salt Lake City is pooling their cash to purchase an empty lot owned by the LDS (Mormon) Church for a much-needed park. They hope to give the land to the city to maintain, but the church and state may not be on board with the plan.

April 25, 2011 - The Salt Lake Tribune

When TODs Fail to Catch On

Two transit-oriented developments in Salt Lake City have struggled to attract tenants. Critics say this is evidence that the whole idea of TOD is wrong, while supporters say they're just getting started.

April 13, 2011 - Deseret News

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