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
I’ve seen this photo in a handful of places this week. It’s an illustration from the city of Munster, Germany, and can be found on the city’s website: As you may be able to tell, it’s a visual illustration of how much roadway space the same number of travelers take up in individual cars, a … Continued
Oregon voters decided Tuesday that they went too far in 2004, with 62 percent of voters approving Measure 49, a partial fix to the mess created by Measure 37 three years ago. Though billed in 2004 as a way for families to build a few houses on their land, Measure 37 basically removed the last … Continued
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
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
In case you’re interested, we received this survey from a doctoral student studying the links between the built environment of the city and the health of its residents. The survey is more specifically about transportation preferences and why people use the ones that they do: This survey should take about 15 minutes. The goals of … Continued
The New York Times gave some love this weekend to Portland, Oregon. First, a story about the growth of the city focuses on how maintaining a small-town big city designed for people, connected to the environment, and with options for transportation, has resulted in a population boom in younger people, as well as older people … Continued
Even for people who meet their daily needs by walking, biking or taking transit, sometimes you just need a car. A few years ago, if you didn’t own a car but needed one to use for an hour or a day, your options might have consisted of borrowing a friend’s wheels, or spending 20 minutes … Continued
Devastation was wrought across California over the last two weeks as a spate of wildfires, powered by the mighty Santa Ana winds, roared across the landscape, while firefighters struggled for days to gain control and citizens scattered in the face of danger. While most people probably didn’t give much of a thought to the “why”, … Continued
This headline on CNN today (Here comes $100 oil, and $3 gas) caught my attention in relation to a story in our newsletter yesterday. Crude oil futures did actually hit $90 yesterday, after hovering in the $80 range, edging upwards towards $90. Which basically means that more traders are betting that the actual price of … Continued