The federal government has an opportunity to make a generational investment in the country's infrastructure that could fundamentally shift the way we live and move around cities.
Thomas Day describes how, with a clear vision, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) could be an opportunity to invest in large-scale projects that shift development toward "hyperdense," transit-oriented cities. But while Robert Moses-style redevelopment on a large scale may no longer be possible, experts like Vishaan Chakrabarti, architect and professor at the University of California, Berkeley, argue that leaving too much power in the hands of competing local interests would squander a "generational opportunity" to redesign urban landscapes with a broad, unified vision.
According to Chakrabarti, the 1956 Federal Highway Act kindled a reassessment of how Americans live—a reassessment that could happen again with a similarly massive and directed infrastructure investment.
Ongoing debates over freeway removal or expansion proposals and rail projects indicate that policymakers and the public remain divided on what the future of transportation should be. But Chakrabarti believes that policymakers should move to aggressively encourage high-density development that would both ease the housing crisis and reduce carbon emissions and energy use.
Day suggests that in order to facilitate quicker and more assertive development of high-density, transit-oriented infrastructure projects, federal agencies should direct funding to projects that meet their goals and empower regional agencies to make decisions that balance local concerns and opposition with regional benefits.
FULL STORY: The Opportunity to Create the Hyperdense Cities We Need
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Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.
California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.
HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
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