Charlotte: Riding the rails at last

Thousands of people jam a light-rail station near I-485 Saturday afternoon. ©TODD SUMLIN Charlotte Observer Click for the slideshow from the Observer We noted a few weeks ago that Charlotte voters renewed their committment to transit by an overwhelming margin, nixing the attempt by some anti-government types to scuttle a half-cent tax that funds transit … Continued

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It's official: Peak Oil may be real

While many news stories have carefully followed the price of oil over the last few weeks and months, many have missed the distinction that unlike the late 70’s, this price spike results from overwhelming demand, rather than an unnatural crimp in supply, as was the case with the embargo — the last time we saw … Continued

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Measuring drivability?

I noticed this through a comment left on our WalkScore post from a a few months ago. Apparently, the popular for sale by owner (FSBO) website Fizber has launched a new service in the vein of WalkScore called DriveScore. Actually, “in the vein of” is a bit of a misnomer as DriveScore appears to be … Continued

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Virginians elect smart-growth candidates

Thanks to a Board of Supervisors elected in 1999 that basically bent over backwards to let any and all growth come to Loudoun County, Va., this formerly rural county on the fringe of Washington, DC quickly become one of the fastest growing counties in America. But the growth came with a great cost as poorly … Continued

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Transportation at the ballot box Tuesday

Voters decided on a handful of ballot measures related to transit and transportation funding yesterday, but it’s worth pointing out two specific cases here from opposite sides of the country. Charlotte: Transit funding upheld An overwhelming 70 percent of Charlotte voters renewed their commitment to the city’s ambitious transit plans, upholding a half-cent tax that … Continued

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SGA founder Don Chen departs to advance community development at the Ford Foundation

A news release from us here at Smart Growth America. Download the full release here: WASHINGTON, D.C. – After eight years as the founding executive director and CEO of Smart Growth America (SGA), Don Chen has accepted a leadership appointment at the Ford Foundation, the country’s second largest philanthropy. Chen will be joining Ford as … Continued

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