123. The Texas Freeway Fight with Megan Kimble

Cities & Planning
Podcast | Watching "third places" disappear with Vanishing Seattle
We spoke with Cynthia Brothers, founder of the project that highlights disappearing institutions and cultures in the city, about losing public spaces.
50 years ago, The World’s Fair helped reshape Spokane’s downtown
To remember the 1974 event that drew more than five million people, the city will host celebrations focusing on the environment and Indigenous culture.
Giant Sails Actually Help Cargo Ships Save Fuel, And The Planet In Turn
Shipping is not a clean business. The global economy is fueled by trade, and much of that trade involves hauling product from point A to point B. A great deal of that product goes by water. Shippin…
Space Mirrors: Dreams Of Turning The Night Into Day Around The Clock
Recently, a company by former SpaceX employee Ben Nowack – called Reflect Orbital – announced that it is now ready to put gigantic mirrors in space to reflect sunshine at ground-based s…
Don't leave the rural areas behind.
rural solar, solar farms, green power, rural area, Agrivoltaics, sunrise energy, rural life, mercer county PA, Cool Springs pa, small town life,
13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. 689)
13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. 689) - Messy Nessy Chic
‘A beautiful idea’: This French town is making its cemetery a source of solar energy | Euronews
Residents in Saint-Joachim can join this unusual community energy scheme for just €5.
This grass has toxic effects on US livestock, and it's spreading
As warming temperatures enable tall fescue to move northward, scientists and ranchers are racing to stop its expansion.
Bellevue City Council All But Abandons ‘Bike Bellevue’ Network - The Urbanist
By being crystal clear that most councilmembers don't support reallocating existing street space to create new bike corridors, the Bellevue City Council effectively rejected the network its transportation department created.
Metro Starts Federal Way Link Bus Restructure Planning - The Urbanist
King County Metro is launching its bus restructure planning process to accompany Federal Way Link, which opens sometime in 2026 adding three stations and about eight miles of light rail between SeaTac and Federal Way. Fill out Metro's scoping survey.
California’s Electricity Disaster In Seven Charts
Residential electricity prices jumped nearly 12% in 2023 and they are going higher. But the carbon intensity of power generation isn't falling and low-income ratepayers are subsidizing the rich.
New Energy for Changes Along Seattle’s MLK Corridor, But Few New Ideas - The Urbanist
Recent initiatives at both Sound Transit and the City of Seattle have put the issue of safety along the at-grade segment of light rail tracks in the Rainier Valley back in the spotlight.
Cargo ship with futuristic sails saves thousands of tonnes of fuel in first test
Pyxis Ocean fitted with WindWings sails travelled across Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean
How Does Paris Stay Paris? By Pouring Billions Into Public Housing
One quarter of residents in the French capital live in government-owned housing, part of an aggressive plan to keep lower-income Parisians — and their businesses — in the city.
Tinkertopia – Creative Reuse Kid Craft Activities + Alt. Arts and Craft Supplies (Tacoma, WASH.)
Is There an Urban Future? | National Review
To achieve a rebirth, cities must attract middle-class families, upwardly mobile immigrants, and entrepreneurs. And they must cultivate neighborhoods.
How Biden’s infrastructure plan created a ‘climate time bomb’ in Black neighborhoods | Grist
Half of the projects funded through the law have been allocated to expanding highways.
Op-Ed: Here’s How We Can Fix Aurora Avenue – From People Who Might Know - The Urbanist
My name is Lucca Murdoch Howard, and I am a member of the Aurora Reimagined Coalition. We're a group that has been advocating for the city to present new ideas for the design of the Aurora Avenue corridor since we were founded in 2021. Originally we were just a couple of community members advocating for the
Want a More Sustainable Meat for the Grill? Try a 13-Foot Python Steak.
Pythons eat less, require very little water and grow faster than beef cattle and chicken. Are they a better food for the planet? These scientists say yes.
A journey into home electrification
Grist writer Tik Root documented his experiences updating his home with cleaner, more climate-friendly systems.
It’s never been easier to decarbonize your home. It’s still not easy enough.
Here's what happened when two climate reporters tried to ditch natural gas.
Rethinking The Affordable Housing Crisis, Part 4
Typical 2-4 unit housing stock in Chicago, built prior to World War II. Source: housingstudies.org Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Most zoning reform ...
Mercedes-Benz GLE 2015-2019 vs. Porsche Cayenne 2023-present
Mercedes-Benz GLE SUV AMG 63 2015-2019 vs. Porsche Cayenne SUV 2023-present. Compare car dimensions (length, width and height) vs. street perspective.
Winged cargo ship saves three tonnes of fuel per day on first voyage
An age of greener, more efficient shipping may be in the offing as a specially modified 43,000-tonne bulk freighter completes a six-month sea trial using a combination of diesel engines and a set of high-tech automatic sails to catch the wind.
Ultra-Heavy EVs Will Easily Demolish Nation’s Unprepared Guard Rail System
The U.S. is a global leader in traffic-related fatalities, with a thirty-percent jump in the last decade. That’s in contrast to every other developed country, which saw a decline. So, of …
People Hate the Idea of Car-Free Cities—Until They Live in One
Removing cars from urban areas means lower carbon emissions, less air pollution, and fewer road traffic accidents. So why are residents so resistant?
Rethinking The Affordable Housing Crisis, Part 3
Homes in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood on Chicago's South Side. Source: The City of Neighborhoods Project Part 1 Part 2 Back in 2018...
Seattle Waterfront Park Project Finally Enters Its Home Stretch - The Urbanist
A new aquarium and "Overlook Walk" to Pike Place Market headline a revamped Seattle Waterfront just one year away from its grand opening, all made possible by tearing down the Alaskan Way Viaduct.
Modular homes were hailed as a solution to housing crises. But the sector is now struggling to scale
Modular construction promises a faster, more sustainable solution to housing crises but it still sees wider adoption in some countries more than others.