Current
Issues > Urban Sprawl
Urban Sprawl
Short
Trips
by Ron McLinden, THB Urban Issues Chair
Heartland
Sierran May/Jun/Jul 2006
Regional
transit funding
Chances for getting legislative approval in Kansas and Missouri
for a regional funding mechanism for public transit are dead for
this year. The Kansas legislature adjourned for the year without
taking action—after first assigning the bill to two separate
committees, thus setting up an additional barrier to passage. Opposition
to the bill emerged from some Johnson County mayors—not
people you’d expect to hold the cards in a state legislative
matter.
DEIS
for a New Paseo Bridge
MoDOT has released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
for expansion of a segment of I-29/I-35 from 6th and Broadway in
Kansas City to Armour Road in North Kansas City. The project would
include a new or expanded bridge to replace the existing Paseo Bridge.
More...
Short
Trips
Heartland
Sierran Dec 2005/Jan 2006
MAX
ridership is strong
MAX
(Metro Area Express), the ATA’s spiffy new bus rapid transit
route between River Market and Waldo via Downtown, Crown Center,
and the Plaza, is showing good performance in its first three months
of operation.
More...
MARC
Transportation Planning — Little Change After Fifteen Years
by Ron McLinden
Heartland
Sierran Aug/Sep 2005
Fifteen
years ago, Kansas City area environmentalists began to get involved
in urban sprawl and regional transportation planning issues.
In 1990, the Mid-America Regional Council released an update of
the street and highway element of the region’s transportation
plan.The plan envisioned spending $1.2 billion for new highways
over the next 20 years. Aware of the environmental consequences
of urban sprawl, and concerned that updating the highway plan without
also updating the transit plan would send the message that highways
are more important than transit, environmental leaders spoke out.
More...
Regional
Transit Funding for Kansas City? Time will Tell
by
Ron McLinden,THB Transportation Chair
Heartland
Sierran Feb/Mar 2005
With
the failure of Bistate II at the polls back in November —
you know, the regional sales tax for sports and performing arts
facilities — plans for another regional funding mechanism
are coming to the fore. More...
Short
Trips - and Regional Connections
by
Ron McLinden
Heartland
Sierran Oct/Nov 2005
A
recent proposal that Kansas City give tax incentives to Wal-Mart
to redevelop the site of the Blue Ridge Mall brings to mind the
broader issue of tax incentive wars. I can’t pretend this
is a rigorous examination of the problem — just a broad-brush
(and slightly opinionated) overview. More...
No
Crow Today — Brookings Presentation To MARC Ducks Key Issues
by Ron McLinden
Heartland
Sierran Aug/Sep 2005
In
my story in the June-July 2004 issue of this newsletter, I previewed
a presentation to be given by Bruce Katz of the Brookings Institution
at the June 4 Regional Assembly of the Mid-America Regional Council
(MARC). No, I hadn’t read his notes — I was just speculating.
More...
Metcalf
looking South
Photo: Kevin Klinkenberg
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Getting
a Grip on Sprawl
by Ron McLinden, THB Transportation Chair
Heartland
Sierran Jun/Jul
2003
As you may already know, last December the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
of Kansas City released a report by the Brookings Institution on growth
in Missouri. Entitled, "Growth in the Heartland: Challenges and
Opportunities for Missouri," the report says Missouri is just
plain not growing very wisely, and that state laws and policies are
at least partly to blame. More...
Missouri's
Growth: Smart Choices Needed
by David Lockwood, Activist
Apr.
2003
The Kauffman Foundation released a report in December, 2002 entitled
"Growth in the Heartland - Challenges and Opportunities for Missouri."
Commissioned from the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.,
the report looks at various growth factors in Missouri, measures
relevant economic and social indices and offers conclusions from
the data presented. While the state's economic development rate
is commended, the report indicates there are problems with the manner
in which this growth occurs. It details these significant problems
and projects ways in which Missouri can begin to address them.
More...
Differences
in zoning
Photo: Kevin Klinkenberg
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Smart
Growth Alliance - Sprawl Slide Show
Sierra
Club 2001 Sprawl Report (PDF)
See
also:
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