Josh Stephens

Living public figures, whether they be Lockyer, Haggarty, Sarah Palin, or Mummar Gaddafi generate their own fanfare. They do not need a building, an airport, or a trail to speak for them.

<p>Most trends are fleeting, some of them mercifully so. Some last no longer than a Lady Gaga wardrobe change. But urbanism is still, by and large, a leisurely exercise, so it&#39;s no wonder that planners still embrace fashions on a nearly generational basis. It often takes that long just to see if something works. Or not.  <br /><br />So, while Gaga would inspire us to attach telephones to our heads and light our bustiers on fire, planners who ascribe to the principles of smart growth are still rhetorically swaddling cities in the urban equivalent of flannel. For better or worse, this age may finally be coming to a close. Don&#39;t cry, Monster.</p>

Infill development has been championed largely by architects, planners, and activist groups like the Congress for New Urbanism. Now developers have finally banded together in the Infill Builders Assoc. to insist that infill can be good business.

Officials in Ontario, CA, contend that LA/Ontario Airport would be a major driver of development -- if it wasn't mismanaged by an airport authority controlled by the City of Los Angeles.

With a growing belief in the streetcars' ability to catalyze redevelopment, cities are jockeying for federal and local funds to build retro transit systems in their downtowns.