America 2050

Photo: Mayor Shirley Franklin delivers the keynote address at the Rockefeller Foundation Urban Summit, July 8. Seated at left is Judith Rodin, president of the Rockefeller Foundation.

1808-1909-2008: National Planning for America by Robert Fishman

Economic and Equity Frameworks for Megaregions by Christopher Jones

Policy Options for Climate Change Mitigation by Amber Mahone

Land Development and Growth Management in the United States: Considerations at the Megaregion Scale by Thomas Wright

A Land and Resources Conservation Agenda for the United States by Frederick Steiner and Robert Yaro

A Transportation Strategy for 21st Century America by Petra Todorovich

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that for the first time in 50 years, more than 10 billion trips were made on buses and trains across the country; with light rail showing the most gains. Amtrak has also shown some gain in ridership. In 2008, $1.5 billion will be earmarked to keep Amtrak operating; in addition, Congress is looking into potential benefits of high speed rail (HSR). As of today, 14 HSR corridors have been proposed. However, Congressman Oberstar, Chairman of the House Transportation Committee pointed out that the U.S. is behind Europe and Asia on implementing HSR. Officials state that high-speed rail could still be decades away.

Atlanta Journal article. (photo: Alain Stoll at flickr.com)

California’s population is expected to reach nearly 60 million by 2050; with more than half residing in Southern California. The LA Times recently reported that So Cal could anticipate more than $100 billion in infrastructure investments to accommodate this growth. Planning studies suggest the six county region would need as much as $140 billion over the next several decades to keep the roads congestion free. In addition, cargo movement is expected to increase by 400 percent over the same period. Because of the scarcity of developable land, especially in and around Los Angeles county, officials are looking at decked freeways, tunnels, tolls, and trains as potential solutions to improve capacity.

Read LA Times Article

In May of this year, the South Florida Regional Planning Council released a draft report on revitalizing the economy and overall health of the South Florida region. The analysis, conducted for the Economic Development Administration, studied demographic challenges and opportunities, business and workforce development, infrastructure needs, and environmental concerns. In addition to acknowledging the diverse population as an asset for the region's economy, the report recommends investments in local, state and regional infrastructure, improving public services and ensuring quality jobs to offset current challenges.

Read the Council's draft report.