Maine

President Obama Designates New National Monument in Maine
The announcement that 87,500 acres of land in Maine's North Woods would become a national monument came the day before the centennial of the National Park Service. The designation is also sure to be controversial.

Portland, Maine Is Ready to Tackle its Housing Shortage
Like many cities around the country, Portland, Maine is faced with rising costs for housing as demand outpaces supply.

Welcome to a Changed Climate: It Even Floods When it's Sunny
A new report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration documents the increasing frequency of nuisance floods and "clear-sky flooding."

The Controversial National Parks Proposal Dividing Maine's North Woods
The Washington Post provides feature-length coverage of an ongoing, long-lasting controversy over a proposal by a wealthy landowner to donate 87,500 acres for the purposes of creating a new national park.
Maine Communities Increasingly Allow Granny Flats
Many Maine communities have amended their zoning ordinances to allow accessory dwelling units, recognizing the benefits of this housing option.
Maine DOT Spars With Regional Transportation Planners
Transportation planners in Bangor, Maine are accusing state officials of holding regional transportation projects hostage to force the construction of a controversial connector project.
Op-Ed: Prospective Zoning Best Tool for Maine's Unorganized Territories
In an area where only one percent of the land is zoned for development, prospective zoning can maintain the balance between land conservation and growth.

Sleepy Resort Towns Becoming Urban Destinations
Around the country, small, rural towns are experiencing the same political conflicts related to land use and planning more commonly associated with the city.
Collaborative Efforts Boost Maine's Local Food Sytem
An article by Colleen Fuller highlights collaborative initiatives in Maine's food system as well as key challenges the state faces in reaching a goal of increasing and broadening access to, and consumption of, local food.

Maine Partnership Connects Transportation Design and Public Health
Planners and public health professionals in Maine are working together to increase opportunities for physical activity and active transportation.
New Ruralism: Sustainability Matters in Rural New England
New Ruralism is about rural communities finding new and sustainable approaches to create economic opportunities, provide livable-wage jobs, improve access to local foods, and offer better aging-in-place options.
$85 Million Transportation Bond Measure on the Ballot in Maine
A week before a Nov. 3 Maine transportation referendum on a *general fund bond issue to address roads and bridges, TRIP released a report showing that over a third of the state's bridges "are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete."

Portland, Maine Approves Inclusionary Zoning
The latest city to implement mandatory inclusionary zoning: Portland, Maine. The City Council decision contradicted the Planning Board's recommendation.
Using Vacant Property Registration Fee Ordinances to Fix Blight
Planners get involved with foreclosure by assisting residents threatened with foreclosure or addressing community impacts such as blight, vacancy, and property disinvestment. A look at vacant property fees as a tool for dealing with foreclosure.

Running on 100 Percent Renewables, Burlington Shows the Way Forward
The city of Burlington, largest in the Green Mountain State, is the only city in the U.S. to provide electricity from entirely renewable sources, notwithstanding criticism from some environmentalists. PBS Newshour Weekend investigates.
New Taxes could Drive up the Cost of Conservation in Maine
Maine trails only three states in total acreage of land protected by conservation. A new plan to end the property tax exemptions for nonprofits, however, could make that work much more difficult.
Can Maine Follow Denmark to Energy Independence?
Visitors from small islands off the coast of Maine traveled to Samsø, a larger island off the coast of Denmark, to learn how to emulate its transformation into a model of renewable energy.

Tar Sands Rebellion in Maine Port City
Can one small port city make a difference? South Portland, home to an oil tanker facility that has long received crude from abroad, has blocked the owner from exporting tar sands crude and hopes to spur other cities to act.
Straight Talk in Maine on Roads, Bridges, and Rail Maintanence
A Democrat and a Republican who serve on Maine's Joint Standing Committee on Transportation make a strong case for "finding the money" to keep roads, bridges, rail lines, and ports in good repair. They skirt around the issue of raising taxes though.
Does South Portland Oilsands Ban Spell Doom for Keystone XL "Plan B"?
South Portland, Maine's moratorium on shipments of Alberta oilsands products may signal a tough road ahead for a proposed alternative to the Keystone XL pipeline.
Pagination
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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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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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