Emily Badger explains why the demolition of El Paso's high-rise city hall this past weekend was a cause for celebration, as the first step in a multimillion-dollar redevelopment that promises to transform the city's downtown.
"El Paso’s City Hall was not particularly historic (it was built in 1978), nor architecturally significant, nor even structurally unsound. But its eight-second implosion yesterday morning was cause for watch parties all over town because of what will replace it: a new AAA ballpark, the first tangible sign of a $473 million commitment by the city to improve its quality of life (the ballpark, in particular, is also apparently the stuff of some El Pasoans’ dreams)," reports Badger.
"Elsewhere in town, a quality-of-life bond supported by voters last November will also enable new parks, recreation centers, athletic fields, public pools, a cultural center, a children’s museum, and upgrades to the city zoo and performing arts center, about 40 projects in all."
FULL STORY: El Paso Ushers in Its Downtown Renewal With a 'Demolition Weekend'

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

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?

LA’s Tree Emergency Goes Beyond Vandalism
After a vandal destroyed dozens of downtown LA trees, Mayor Karen Bass vowed to replace them. Days later, she slashed the city’s tree budget.

Sacramento Leads Nation With Bus-Mounted Bike Lane Enforcement Cameras
The city is the first to use its bus-mounted traffic enforcement system to cite drivers who park or drive in bike lanes.

Seattle Voters Approve Social Housing Referendum
Voters approved a corporate tax to fund the city’s housing authority despite an opposition campaign funded by Amazon and Microsoft.
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