The improving economy will allow planners and city officials to expand work on the Atlanta BeltLine.
"Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. has proposed a budget for the upcoming year that’s 27 percent larger than the current budget," reports David Pendered. "Money is provided to design an extension of the Atlanta Streetcar, figure out how to connect the BeltLine to MARTA, build a park, and extend the Eastside and Westside trails."
Pendered reports that Invest Atlanta will consider the proposed budget later this week. The article also itemizes the budget and includes a note about the ongoing issues requiring resolution between the city and the school district over payments owed the school district in the wake of the lower-than-expected returns for the BeltLine Tax Allocation District in the wake of the Great Recession.
On a related note, the BeltLine made news earlier in May 2015 by announcing the results of a "Citywide Conversation" that produced an initial proposal for 50 miles of streetcar service in and around the ring created by the future Beltline.
FULL STORY: Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. proposes budget increase, trail extensions, planning for Streetcar extension

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

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal
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Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation
Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.
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