Posts tagged Sprawl
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Could regional expansion solve Charlottesville, Virginia’s transit “death spiral?”
Five years ago Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT) had a ridership of 2.4 million; this year the city’s transit expects to serve just 1.7 million riders. The system lost more than one-fourth of its ridership since 2014, and CAT’s new director Garland Williams says it’s in a “death spiral.” Keep reading…
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It’s deja-vroom: That flawed Texas A&M traffic study is back yet again
In 2011 and 2015, the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M released an “Urban Mobility Report” which grabbed a lot of headlines, like “Washington area tied with Chicago for traffic congestion, study finds.” The study led me and many others to write articles debunking its bad methodology. Keep reading…
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National links: Are we at the end of the age of driving?
Cars have grown to outnumber people in the US over the past 100 years, but the automobile industry has been a heavy burden on society. Large and slow-moving storms can be deadlier in areas with sprawl. Can vacancy taxes bring down the costs of homes in some areas? Keep reading…
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These beautiful maps show how the region’s population density changed since 1970
DC’s population growth has slowed since the 2009 boom 10 years ago, but the population still continues to climb. In December, the US Census Bureau announced that DC’s population reached 702,455, officially passing the 700,000 mark. Keep reading…
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Gaithersburg illustrates how school capacity tests make sprawl worse
Several years ago Gaithersburg adopted an ordinance to ensure that infrastructure keeps up with growth. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Unfortunately, the law turned out to be counterproductive, as it damaged the city’s ability to grow in the right places. Keep reading…
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National links: SimCity and the planners it inspired are learning to build more inclusively
SimCity inspired a generation of planners, and now they're both heading in a more inclusive and sustainable direction. Singapore is beginning trails for full-sized autonomous buses. Climate change initiatives like the Green New Deal will fail if they don't address sprawl. Keep reading…
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Discuss on Wednesday: How can the Green New Deal include land use?
The Democrats’ Green New Deal proposal fails to address “the most crucial environmental, economic, and racial justice issue of all: where we live,” Alex Baca, a GGWash Editorial Board member and engagement director at the Coalition for Smarter Growth, writes in an article for Slate. Keep reading…
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Sprawl doesn’t just hurt cities, it hurts farmers too, a local report shows
We don’t always think about agriculture in the context of urbanism, but it is an important part of our region. We should understand the role it plays, and how it too is impacted by things like zoning and sprawl. Keep reading…
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(Not) long ago and (not) far away, jobs boomed but housing prices didn’t
The buzz around the region about the prospect of a colossal corporate relocation has many local residents worried about the “prosperity bomb” that could result if the corporation brings 50,000 jobs over ten years. In particular, many are concerned about even-higher housing costs. Keep reading…
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Forcing suburban developers to build the wrong road projects brings sprawl
When there’s a new subdivision planned, the new homes and other buildings come with a corresponding amount of additional vehicle trips. If the road network can’t handle the expected traffic, the developer is required to build whatever transportation projects are necessary to accommodate them. Keep reading…