Places like Columbia Heights, an older suburb north of Minneapolis, lie at the focal point of conflict over development and gentrification. Can these places support a 21st-century urbanism?

Adjoining a rapidly-gentrifying arts district, Columbia Heights is known for its deep working-class roots and a heavy helping of automotive businesses. Alan Ehrenhalt discusses the tensions that are rising as demographic shifts have city leaders looking toward a hipper, more prosperous future.
Inner-ring suburbs like Columbia Heights "are blue-collar towns, developed after World War II to attract industrial workers lifting themselves into the middle class [...] these first-tier suburbs now are home to aging populations, aging housing stock and aging infrastructure [...] Lurking beneath the debate, as you might expect, is the issue of gentrification."
While some inner suburbs are cashing in on their inherent walkability (i.e., streetcar suburbs), others don't lend themselves so easily to the coffee shop set. "Sprinkled with drive-up businesses and constant curb cuts, Central Avenue [in Columbia Heights] is virtually unwalkable. Pedestrians who wish to stroll down the busiest mile-long strip have to cross the wide street over and over again to find sidewalk space."
FULL STORY: The Saga of an Inner Suburb's Struggle for an Identity

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

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.

Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.

California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.

HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
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