News

In Portland, Oregon, the Metro Council is working with businesses and residents in the metropolitan area to plan for the future. In the process of planning two new parks, Metro empowered community partners and members from African-American, Hispanic, Asian, Indigenous, and immigrant and refugee communities to sit in the planner’s seat and guide the park design process and outcome.

The Underline, a 10-mile linear park below Miami’s MetroRail, has the potential to make the city more equitable by prioritizing affordable housing initiatives so everyone can benefit from the amenity. Several “rails-to-trails” projects around the U.S., like The BeltLine and the High Line, have grappled with concerns of lessened affordability and increased gentrification—and the Underline will have to grapple with it as well.

Affordable apartments near reliable public transportation aren’t always easy to find. Sound Transit, Puget Sound’s transportation authority, is working on a light rail expansion and will work with local agencies to fill many pieces of leftover land with affordable housing.

Argentina’s capital hopes to revitalize 145 acres of its riverfront by establishing a ‘Youth District,’ a proposed recreational area that will—as part of rezoning—feature private bars, restaurants and clubs. Critics argue that the plan is socially exclusive and commercial, and poses an environmental risk. Some activists worry the project will make the area more prone to flooding, which is a regular occurrence in Buenos Aires—last spring, flash floods caused the evacuation of hundreds of residents.