Development has been creeping closer and closer to Palo Duro Canyon in Texas, the country's second biggest canyon. But despite a recent sale of nearby land to developers, preservationists have secured the deed to prevent sprawl from moving in.
"Palo Duro is 120 miles long and 8 miles wide. It lays claim as the second largest canyon in the country after the Grand Canyon. The canyon and river sustain a habitat that would have little chance on the open plains."
"Big horn sheep, mule and white tail deer, coyotes, bobcats and even a mountain lion recently took up residence."
"But what if instead of juniper and mesquite trees along the of canyon rim, there were hundreds of luxury homes with swimming pools, BMWs, gas grills, wrought iron fences and a championship golf course?"
"For the last 20 years, development south of Amarillo, Texas, has slowly been pushing toward the park."
"Last year, the owner of one large ranch that abuts the canyon decided to sell his 3,000 acres to developers. Six miles of canyon rim overlooking the heart of Palo Duro Canyon would have been transformed into a high-end suburb. The park's charm - its feeling of exquisite isolation - would have been lost forever."
FULL STORY: Texas Canyon Escapes Suburban Sprawl
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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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City of Albany
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