What City Observatory did this week Climate fraud in the Portland Metro RTP. Metro’s Regional Transportation Plan rationalizes spending billions on freeway expansion by publishing false estimates and projections of greenhouse gas emissions. Transportation is the number one source of greenhouse gases in Portland. For nearly a decade, our regional government, Metro, has said it […]
The Week Observed, August 18, 2023 Read More »
Metro’s Regional Transportation Plan rationalizes spending billions on freeway expansion by publishing false estimates and projections of greenhouse gas emissions Transportation is the number one source of greenhouse gases in Portland. For nearly a decade, our regional government, Metro, has said it is planning to meet a state law calling for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
The climate fraud in Metro’s Regional Transportation Plan Read More »
Must Read Some Texas-sized greenwashing for highway widening in Austin. TXDOT is aiming to spend close to $5 billion to widen I-35 through downtown Austin, and to sweeten the deal, they’re producing project renderings showing lengthy caps over portions of the widened freeway. One hitch though: while TXDOT will pay to build the highway, it
The Week Observed, August 11, 2023 Read More »
What City Observatory did this week Eating local: Why independent, local restaurants are a key indicator of city vitality. Jane Jacobs noted decades ago that“The greatest asset a city can have is something that is different from every other place.” While much of our food scene is dominated by national chains, some cities have many,
The Week Observed, August 4, 2023 Read More »
Which US cities have the most independent restaurants? One of the chief advantages of cities is the range of consumption choices they afford to their residents. In general, larger cities offer more choices than smaller ones. One of the things that makes a city special and distinctive is its food and culture. Too much of
Local flavor: Independent restaurants indicate city vitality Read More »
What City Observatory did this week Myth-busting: Idling and greenhouse gas emissions. Highway boosters are fond of claiming that they can help fight climate change by widening highways so that cars don’t have to spend so much time idling. It’s a comforting illusion to think that helping you drive faster is the solution to climate
The Week Observed, July 28, 2023 Read More »
Increasing road capacity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will backfire Widening roads to reduce idling simply induces more travel and more pollution Cities with faster travel have higher greenhouse gas emissions Time for another episode of City Observatory’s Urban Myth Busters, which itself is an homage to the venerable Discovery Channel series “Mythbusters” that featured co-hosts Adam Savage
Urban myth busting: Congestion, idling, and carbon emissions Read More »
What City Observatory did this week Few highway construction dollars for Black-owned firms in Oregon. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is falling short of its own goals of contracting with disadvantaged business enterprises. One-tenth of one percent of construction contracts for the I-205 Abernethy Bridge, ODOT’s largest current project, went to Black construction firms. ODOT
The Week Observed, July 21, 2023 Read More »
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is falling short of its own goals of contracting with disadvantaged business enterprises One-tenth of one percent of I-205 contracts went to Black construction firms ODOT professed a strong interest in helping Black contractors as a selling point for the I-5 Rose Quarter project, but instead advanced the I-205
ODOT’s I-205 Bridge: 1/10th of 1 Percent for Black Contractors Read More »
What City Observatory did this week We have an in-depth series of reports on the Oregon Department of Transportation’s imploding I-5 Rose Quarter freeway widening project. The cost of the I-5 Rose Quarter project has now quadrupled to $1.9 billion—it was a mere $450 million when it was sold to the Legislature in 2017. ODOT
The Week Observed, July 14, 2023 Read More »
