From HOT lanes to a hot year and from fights over parking to fights over supreme court decisions, here are some of our more popular articles from the year
People (or Bots) Read These Articles This Year
SustainAtlanta
Tim Keane Has Had It With Poorly Designed Buildings
Weekly Links: Atlanta Planning Commissioner Tim Keane is taking a real hard look at your building design proposal and it better not be bad. Also, should we try a cap-and-trade system for affordable housing? No. And, a hyper loop prototype is finally unveiled.
Who Knew The Term “Waters of the United States” Could Be So Controversial?
A new revision to the Clean Water Act pits private property rights against clean water and makes us question whether we should just prevent pollution in the first place.
Don’t Lecture Savannah On Climate Change
Weekly Links: Savannah doesn’t need a report detailing the effects of climate change; residents already see those effects on a routine basis. Also, Atlanta may allow residents to propose and vote on community projects. And, Minneapolis just upped the ante on zoning reform.
Athens Bans E-Scooters, Reminds Us That Elected Officials Are Still in Charge
Weekly Links: Athens isn’t down with being forced to quickly respond to problems unleashed by companies. Plus, Atlanta to Charlotte passenger rail could be on the way…there’s only one problem. And, Atlanta may finally allow garages to be rented out in more parts of the city.
Atlanta Reconsiders Its Proposed Ban on Car Booting, Opts for Minor Changes Instead
Weekly Links: Dust off your contract law books because car booting in Atlanta may be here to stay. Plus, 1.) many cities are offering cash to lure new residents, 2.) large cities may actually alter the structure of hurricanes to produce more rain, and 3.) libraries are getting in the seed-sharing business.
The Old Trolley Problem Only Has One Solution: Better Urban Design
Old vs. Young. Criminal vs. Dog. Pedestrian vs. Passenger. The thorny issue of who should be saved when autonomous vehicles encounter danger only has one solution: better urban design.
Selling Our Souls (and Train Cars) to Amazon
Weekly Links: Our incentives to lure the company included Amazon-only MARTA rail cars and renaming streets after Amazon products. Plus:
1.) Atlanta plans to combat minimum parking requirements, something that should unite the left and right; and
2.) How NIMBYism and anti-density movements are eerily similar to voter suppression efforts.
