San Diego's new general plan creates a "City of Villages", and increases housing density around designated urban centers.
San Diego city planners want to adopt a plan for futuredevelopment that they hope will help preserve a high quality of lifewhile incorporating state-mandated housing into the newest version ofthe city's general plan. The plan, called "City of Villages", wasdrafted by city planners and a citizen's committee, and involvesincreasing housing density around designated urban centers andneighborhood centers which would contain shops and public facilities.Planners are concerned that it may be difficult to convince residentsthat higher density living and new housing developments are the bestoption for the future. They also must find a way to fund publicfacilities and infrastructure improvements necessary to accommodate thenew housing. The planners hope that by educating people about strategiesfor accommodating growth and by showing real-life examples of highdensity communities, residents will be more open to accepting the newplan and new housing units in their neighborhoods. Developers cautionthat neighborhoods often fight projects that increase housing densityand that this new plan may be difficult to implement.
Thanks to California 2000 Project
FULL STORY: City of Villages

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A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure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