Alaska's "bridge to nowhere" would really be a bridge to sprawl -- and that's why it'll be a crucial issue in the upcoming Senate re-election campaign of 84-year-old Ted Stevens against Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich.
Last week, Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, a 46-year-old Democrat, created an exploratory committee to run against the powerful six-term incumbent. Stevens is damaged by a passel of ethics problems, but he's also dogged by the fact that his "earmark" for the Knik Arm Bridge in Anchorage has become the poster child for Republican pork.
But there's more to the "bridge to nowhere" than pork. Whether or not the bridge is built is likely to fundamentally shape future growth patterns in Anchorage - as Begich well knows.
Thanks to Bill Fulton
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This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research