Anthropologists have discovered traces of highly organized and gridded cities in the Amazon rainforest dating back to the 1200s.
"The finding suggests that vast swathes of 'pristine' rain forest may actually have been sophisticated urban landscapes prior to the arrival of European colonists."
"The repeated patterns within and among settlements across the landscape suggest a highly ordered and planned society on par with any medieval European town."
"The finding supports a controversial theory that the Amazon River Basin teemed with large societies that were all but obliterated by disease when European colonists arrived in the 15th and 16th centuries."
"So far he has identified at least two major clusters-or polities-of towns, villages, and hamlets. Each cluster contains a central seat of ritualistic power with wide roads radiating out to other communities."
"A major road aligned with the summer solstice intersects each central plaza."
"'The whole landscape is almost like a latticework, the way it is gridded off,' Heckenberger said. 'The individual centers themselves are much less constructed. It is more patterned at the regional level.'"
FULL STORY: Ancient Amazon Cities Found; Were Vast Urban Network

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

Alabama School Forestry Initiative Brings Trees to Schoolyards
Trees can improve physical and mental health for students and commnity members.

NYC Outdoor Dining Could Get a Re-Do
The city council is considering making the al fresco dining program year-round to address cost concerns from small businesses.

HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City
The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.
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