Boston suburbanites, who are fed up with their car-based existence, are part of a larger trend of suburbanites rethinking their environment.
"Sick of driving miles from housing developments to restaurants and strip malls, often through snarled traffic, many residents are looking to make sidewalks, bike trails, and commuter lines their preferred thoroughfares....In many suburbs outside of Boston, fewer than 8 percent of residents walk or use public transportation to get to work....Meanwhile, 45 percent of Bostonians...are pounding the pavement at least five days a week....But even as many suburbanites are rethinking their environment, some experts say there is still an appetite for large homes with green yards and plenty of garage space. 'Americans don't have one single idea of how they want to live,' said Yale University professor Dolores Hayden....'You'll find that the McMansions are growing popular even as other people are reevaluating their surroundings. I see things happening at both ends of the scale," Hayden said....Health and planning experts say that it's not that suburban residents don't want to walk. It's just that they rarely have the chance."
Thanks to Connie Chung
FULL STORY: Fresh air? Times Square?

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

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A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure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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