National links: When gas prices go up, sprawl goes down, study finds

Can expensive gas save forests? Minneapolis considers a TOPA law. Arterials, the heart of town, and other city-as-body metaphors that guide our thinking.

High gas prices led to a decline in sprawl: A new study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters has tied the reduction in new sprawl development this century to higher gas prices. The slowdown, they argue, saved about 7 million acres of forest and agricultural land from development, saying that a .03 cent increase in gas taxes reduces land development rates by 2.84% per year. (Sarah DeWeerdt | Anthropocene Magazine)

Minneapolis law could allow tenants to purchase homes: Local activists in Minneapolis have been pushing for a Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), which would allow renters to purchase homes they live in if the landlord decides to sell. The law would give tenants the right of first refusal to purchase, or assign those rights to a third party vetted by the city. (Morgan Baskin | Mother Jones)

Biological metaphors and city form: Since the dawn of cities we’ve tied them to the human body, discussing nerve centers and arterials as part of the urban fabric. Those metaphors have helped humans grapple with the complexity of city life and could help us deal with an uncertain climate future. (Marco Amati | The Conversation)

Cities starting to recognize van lifers: The cost of housing is skyrocketing around the country, but especially in places such as Colorado’s resort towns. To avoid the high cost of an apartment on a limited wage, many residents have resorted to “van life,” purchasing a van to live in that’s much cheaper than renting a home. But many of these resort towns prohibit overnight parking, limiting their own workers from living close by after they’ve already limited their housing options. (Kelly Bastone | 5280 Magazine)

Texas governor tries to kill a road diet project: The decision to transfer of a stretch of state highway to the City of San Antonio is expected to be reversed six years after it was approved. Millions of dollars have been spent in planning for a road diet, tree planting, and improved pedestrian and bike access for the road in an area of redevelopment. Many believe Texas Gov. Greg Abbott himself complained about the loss of lanes and is pulling strings to stop the project in fear something similar will happen in Austin. (Rick Casey | San Antonio Report)

Quote of the week:

“The consequences [of an income-graduated traffic fine] are proportionally ‘equally severe’ to all. The day fine system can be thus seen to be more equal and effective than a system where the amount of fine is fixed.”

Katariina Paakla, a senior specialist with Finland’s Department of Criminal Law in the Atlantic discussing progressive traffic fines.

This week on the podcast, I talk to Tina Rosan, associate professor at Temple University, and Stephen Wheeler, professor at UC Davis, about their new book “Reimagining Sustainable Cities: Strategies for Designing Greener, Healthier, More Equitable Communities.”