In an obviously difficult market for new housing, Cross Creek Ranch is standing out from the pack with a master-planned community that restores a degraded dirt parcel to a native landscape.
Theresa Burney at Builder Magazine reports on one thing you'll find at Cross Creek Ranch you won't find in many master-planned communities: deliberately wild and unkempt landscaping. The green space "...mimics the native coastal prairie by including tall grasses that don't need to be mowed."
Trendmaker Development has planted thousands of trees on the land and attempted as much as possible to improve the natural state:
"When Trendmaker bought the 3,300-acre parcel it was flat, almost treeless, farmland bisected by an eroded ditch. Under the direction of landscape architects SWA Group, the ditch became more akin to a creek with native black willows planted on its banks to naturally stabilize the stream."
FULL STORY: Prairie Nouveau

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.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

San Francisco’s Muni Ridership Grew in 2024
The system saw its highest ridership since before the Covid-19 pandemic, but faces a severe budget shortage in the coming year.

Colorado Lawmakers Move to Protect BRT Funding
In the face of potential federal funding cuts, CDOT leaders reasserted their commitment to planned bus rapid transit projects.

Safe Streets Funding in Jeopardy
The Trump administration is specifically targeting bike infrastructure and other road safety projects in its funding cuts.
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