= = = Highlight = = =
Historic Homeownership Assistance Act Reintroduced in House  Rep. Clay Shaw (R-FL) reintroduced the "Historic Homeownership Assistance Act" (H.R. 1172) which is  identical to the previous 'Historic Homeownership Act' introduced in the 106th Congress.  Features include a 20%  federal income tax credit to homeowners who rehabilitate or buy a qualified historic house, up to a maximum credit of $40,000 for a principal residence.  Qualifying areas include single-and multi-family residences, condos, and co-ops listed on the National Register of Historic Places or on a state or local register.  Visit the National Trust for Historic Preservation
http://capwiz.com/nthp/issues/alert/?alertid=8159&type=CO to read a summary of the legislation and to see if your representative is a cosponsor. 
Visit our Policies page to see other federal legislation introduced in the 107th Congress promoting smart growth. http://www.sprawlwatch.org/policies.html

= = = State and Local News = = = 
HOUSING 
California 
Though energy policy is atop the political agenda in the California Legislature, a plethora of housing bills have been  introduced recently to address the state's dearth of affordable housing.          http://www.cp-dr.com/binn/public.taf?relm=headlines&function=detail&headline_id=44 

LAND CONSERVATION 
Arizona
The Arizona State Senate approved a constitutional amendment to appear on the 2002 ballot which would allow state trust land to be exchanged for publicly owned property that would be set aside for conservation. http://www.arizonarepublic.com/arizona/articles/0327roundup27.html
California 
The Diablo Range, a stretch of wild land between Interstate 5 and Interstate 680, is being targeted for an
expansive conservation campaign by land trusts as the San Joaquin Valley and the Bay Area inch closer and closer together. http://www0.mercurycenter.com/front/docs1/diablo0327.htm
Tennessee
The Tennessee General Assembly passed legislation, approved of by the Governor, that greatly expands the state parks and natural areas of the state. http://www.timesfreepress.com/2001/mar/27mar01/webpark.html 

LEGAL ACTION 
Pennsylvania
An Abington congregation will be the first in Pennsylvania to challenge a building permit denial using the newReligious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act which severely curtails the government's ability to enact or enforce any land-use regulation "that imposes a substantial burden on the religious exercise" of a person or a religious institution. http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/2001/03/22/city/NSYNA22.htm

PLANNING 
New Jersey
Egg Harbor Township, NJ is located within the Pinelands National Reserve and has been dedicated a "regional growth area," but there is increasing resistance to the growth and scale of the current development. http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/2001/03/25/city/JGROWTH25.htm

TRANSPORTATION 
D.C. Region
As D.C.'s Metro reaches its 25-year anniversary it is considered by many to be a model for other public transportation systems around the county and world, but as ridership continues to grow, it is reaching its physical and technological limits. http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57050-2001Mar25.html
Florida 
The Florida Legislature has begun debate on building a "bullet train," that comes on the heels of a ballot initiative that passed in November requiring the state to build high-speed rail.          http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-loc-rail27032701.story?coll=orl%2Dhome%2Dheadlines
Michigan 
Rail-trails in Michigan offer recreation and transportation opportunities for those throughout the state with 92 trails covering 1,130 miles. http://www.detroitnews.com/2001/moresports/0103/23/h04-203119.htm

The Michigan Land Use Institute's March issue of the Great Lakes Bulletin, examines the critical condition of  America's congested highways and airports, how other cities are enjoying a new lease on life by adding passenger rail to their transportation menus, and how Michigan's metropolitan areas can, too.         http://www.mlui.org/pubs/glb/glb13-01/glb13-05.asp 

URBAN REVITALIZATION 
Los Angeles
An abandoned rail yard along the Los Angeles River will become the first state park and recreation complex in downtown L.A. 
http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/2001/03/03212001/railyard_42595.asp?site=email

 = = = New Releases = = = 
Regional Tax Revenue Sharing
A new report from the Sierra Club touts the benefits of regional tax revenue sharing with the ultimate aim of curbing sprawl. Dare to Share outlines several benefits of regional tax revenue sharing including reduced intergovernmental competition for new jobs that allows the cities most burdened with poverty the means to ameliorate the situation.  The report details tax revenue sharing plans in Minneapolis, Dayton, Pittsburgh, and Denver. http://www.ohio.sierraclub.org/sprawl/taxrevenue.htm

New Brookings Report 
The demographics of the United States are rapidly shifting.  In the next decade, a large wave of the population will be moving into their senior years. Americans are becoming more ethnically and racially diverse. And an increasing  number of households are being headed by single parents, are choosing to remain childless, or are opting to delay child-rearing. The Implications of Changing U.S. Demographics for Housing Choice and Location in U.S. Cities examines how the current and projected demographic trends in the country will impact preferences for housing choices and residential location in the future, particularly as they affect cities and metropolitan areas. The paper ends with implications for future research to aid urban leaders in taking advantage of these changing demographics.          http://www.brookings.edu/es/urban

Private Lands Conservation
The National Governors' Association recent summit, Private Lands, Public Benefits, was attended by over two hundred policy makers, agricultural and environmental interests, and industry leaders gathered to discuss the future of conservation policy and programs to support private farm, ranch, and forest owners.  Several reports were prepared regarding successful programs nationwide whose focus is private lands conservation.  To read the reports, visit the NGA's Center for Best Practices.          http://www.nga.org/center/divisions/1,1188,C_ISSUE_BRIEF^D_1519,00.html

= = =Highlight= = =
Atlanta 
An extreme TV advertisement campaign run by the Georgia Highway Contractors Association began airing in metro Atlanta recently that claims environmentalists are "preventing us from driving cars, and forcing us to live downtown."  Similar ad campaigns can be expected as metropolitan areas continue to turn toward, however slightly, mass transit to comply with the federal Clean Air Act.           http://www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/epaper/editions/today/opinion_a35b2a6af52a111500b2.html 
Dueling editorials by Atlanta's two major dailies have both acclaimed the ad campaign and ridiculed it.  Here is the editorial in the Atlanta Journal in support          http://www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/epaper/editions/tuesday/opinion_a37b503ff52a21941040.html, and here is the editorial in the Atlanta Constitution mocking the campaign for "Employing a level of subtlety and sophistication last seen in 1950s Soviet propaganda."           http://www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/epaper/editions/today/opinion_a38bc554220d32930037.html 

= = = State and Local News = = = 
BROWNFIELDS
As the national legislation for brownfield reform continues to gain steam, the state programs currently existing will carry much of the burden for carrying out these policies.           http://www.stateline.org/story.cfm?storyid=119905

HOUSING 
HUD Supports Increased Rental Housing
HUD Secretary Mel Martinez has formally asked Congress to increase the limit on FHA loans by 25 percent, a proposal that was included in President Bush's budget plan.  This should allow FHA to provide larger loans to companies that want to build rental housing.          http://www.nandotimes.com/politics/story/0,1068,500465775-500711583-503922658-0,00.html 
New Hampshire
The Keene Sentinel recently completed a four-day special on the lack of affordable housing around Keene and throughout the state. 
http://www1.keenesentinel.com/specialreports/beyondreach/Default.htm

NEW URBANISM 
Illinois 
Prairie Crossing, a "conservation community" located forty miles northwest of Chicago, has attempted to preserve the agricultural heritage of Lake County while providing an alternative to traditional suburban developments. http://www.terrain.org/unsprawl/default.htm
Michigan 
While some critics claim it will never work, there are some public officials in metro Detroit who are trying to put new urbanist design principles into reality. 
http://www.detroitnews.com/2001/metro/0103/19/d01-201176.htm

OPEN SPACE 
Maine
The largest conservation easement in U.S. history was finalized in Maine with $28 million going towards
development rights on more than 760,000 acres in western and northern Maine. 
http://www.bangornews.com/cgi-bin/article.cfm?storynumber=30969 
New Hampshire
Concerns over how to fund the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program, a popular conservation program that passed the New Hampshire Legislature last year, have placed the breadth of the program in some jeopardy. 
http://www.cmonitor.com/stories/front0400/032001lchip.shtml
North Carolina
A recent report by the University of North Carolina finds the state is falling behind its goal of preserving one million acres by the end of the decade.           http://www.charlotte.com/observer/local/pub/openspace0321.htm 

POLLING 
Ohio 
Four out of five Ohioans (80.2%) said they favored or strongly favored state-supported efforts to develop
passenger rail services in Ohio according to a poll conducted by Ohio State University’s Center for Survey
Research (OSU-CSR). For details of "Tracking Ohio " simply visit http://www.oarprail.org to download a copy. Or e-mail: kjprendergast@core.com 

TRANSPORTATION 
Colorado 
A bicycle safety bill in the Colorado legislature with bipartisan support has been tabled under concern that it may become too heavily amended to be effective.        http://www.denverpost.com/news/leg/leg0314d.htm
Maryland 
Maryland's commuter tax benefit program, the strongest in the nation, is having a difficult time attracting    participants. 
http://www.sunspot.net/news/local/bal-md.credits19mar19.story?coll=bal%2Dlocal%2Dheadlines

URBAN REVITALIZATION
The Sunbelt, long reviled by urbanists for its sprawling development patterns, has seen, along with the rest of the country, a revival of its downtowns. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/18/business/18ROOT.html

 = = = New Releases = = = 
New Brookings Report 
"Lost in the Balance:  How State Policies Affect the Fiscal Health of Cities" examines central city fiscal distress and city-suburban fiscal disparities in California, New York, and Wisconsin, and shows that state aid and tax policies may actually be exacerbating, rather than improving, urban fiscal conditions. This suggests that further devolution of federal programs to states, like welfare reform, may worsen cities' fiscal problems. http://www.brookings.edu/urban/

How To Turn a Place Around
"How To Turn a Place Around: A Handbook for Creating Successful Public Spaces," recently published by the Project for Public Places, is a user-friendly and common sense guide for everyone from community residents to mayors on how to create successful places. The ideas presented in this book reflect Project for Public Spaces' twenty-five years of experience in helping people to understand and improve their public spaces. The community-based and "place oriented" process outlined in this book is organized around the eleven basic  principles of creating successful public spaces along with methods that anyone can use to evaluate a space.  http://www.pps.org/Products/products_turnplacearound.htm

A new report released by the Sierra Club, “Stop Sprawl: New Research on Population, Suburban Sprawl and Smart Growth” shows that though population growth is rarely its sole cause, it often contributes in a major way to sprawl. This research, conducted by Professor Rolf Pendall of Cornell University also claims that the importance of population growth as a driver of sprawl varies across the United States.  In the West and South it is significant, often a major factor; in the  East and Mid-west it is a minor and sometimes inconsequential factor.  But the most intriguing aspect of this research is the light it sheds on solutions. Pendall found that smart-growth solutions, which  focus on channeling growth into areas with existing infrastructure, were effective at slowing sprawling growth regardless of its cause. To download the whitepaper please visit http://www.sierraclub.org/sprawl/whitepaper.asp

The Joint Center for Environmental & Urban Problems and 1000 Friends of Florida release “Development without Displacement Community Handbook”. The Handbook identifies a set of tools that communities can use to address gentrification and displacement in urban areas of southeast Florida.  http://www.jc.fau.edu
 

= = = National News = = = 
Sprawl Debate 
Dubbed the "Showdown in Seattle," the National Green Building Conference featured a debate regarding urban sprawl with the executive directors of the Sierra Club and the National Association of Home Builders sparring off. http://seattlep-i.nwsource.com/local/sprawl21.shtml

= = = Highlights = = = 
Brownfields Reform Bill Passes Key Senate Committee 
The Brownfields Revitalization and Environmental Restoration Act of 2001 (S. 350) was voted out of the Environment and Public Works Committee by a 15-3 margin.  S. 350, which is identical to S.2700 that nearly became law last year with 67 cosponsors, enjoys broad bipartisan support along with the    endorsement of hundreds of public officials and organizations including the Trust for Public Land, U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the National Association of Realtors.  Visit http://www.brownfields.com/story_senate.cfm for a summary of S. 350 and visit http://www.sprawlwatch.org/policies.html to see other legislation introduced in the 107th Congress supporting smart growth. 

Census Results Are In 
Questions about how your community is changing?  The results of the 2000 census have been tabulated and are available through their website.  
http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet 

= = = State and Local News = = = 
BILLBOARDS 
South Carolina 
The newly formed Citizens for Scenic South Carolina will be campaigning in Richland County, home of the state capital, for a ban on new billboard construction.             http://web.thestate.com/content/columbia/2001/03/06/front/webbill06.htm 

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 
California 
The Sierra Business Council, a unique coalition located in the rapidly growing Sierra Nevada, seeks to transcend the typical "jobs vs. environment" debate by encouraging economic growth while preserving the small-scale feel of the historic communities. http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/2001/03/08/fpcon-natl.shtml 

HOUSING 
District of Columbia 
D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams's housing plan has been criticized by some as favoring middle-income residents over low-income residents.             http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37923-2001Mar7.html 

OPEN SPACE 
Wisconsin
Some counties in Wisconsin that are concerned with loss of open space are using their zoning codes to encourage more open space preservation, primarily through offering "bonus lots" for cluster designs.  http://www.jsonline.com/news/ozwash/mar01/bonus11ww031001a.asp 

TRANSPORTATION 
Los Angeles Region 
The Orange County Transportation Authority has formally shelved its CenterLine rail project, which would have run from Fullerton to Irvine. http://www.latimes.com/editions/orange/ocnews/20010313/t000022089.html 
San Francisco 
Car-sharing, an innovative mobility service imported from Europe that allows people to rent automobiles on a per-use basis, is beginning to take hold in the U.S.—with San Francisco as the most recent city to offer the service.            http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/03/09/MNW208543.DTL 
To see learn more about car-sharing and to see if it exists near you, visit www.carsharing.net. 
California 
Amtrak is planning to significantly increase the number of trains and speed up its California service, including a high-speed link between downtown Los Angeles and San Francisco.             http://www.capitolalert.com/news/capalert03_20010307.html 
Houston 
Hours after winning a lawsuit that sought to block a downtown light rail line; the Houston Metropolitan
Transportation Authority drove spikes into rails to signify the beginning of the much-delayed project. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2001-03-13-rail.htm 
Michigan 
As states struggle to meet their growing transportation needs, some states are funding research into a global positioning system that could tax people based on how much they drive.  However due to concerns about privacy and the cost of the technology, Michigan may pull out its funding.             http://www.detroitnews.com/2001/metro/0103/09/d01-197404.htm 
Ohio 
According to a recent poll requested by the Ohio Association of Rail Passengers, significant majorities of Ohioans support the state expanding passenger rail service in addition to developing a high speed rail network. http://www.oarprail.org/POLL_OHIOANS_WANT_TRAINS_NOW.htm 

PLANNING 
Idaho 
Idaho, though experiencing rapid growth, seems to be ahead of many other mountain west states in debating proposals for transportation reform and urban design.             http://www.sltrib.com/03102001/utah/78160.htm 

STATE LEGISLATION 
Kentucky 
The Kentucky House and Senate recently passed a compromise brownfields bill that Gov. Patton has indicated he will sign.
http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2001/03/09/ky_leg_brown.html 
South Carolina 
The South Carolina House and Senate have both proposed bills this year to fund a "conservation bank" that would be funded through a tax on real estate transactions.            http://web.thestate.com/content/columbia/2001/03/12/a1/growth12web.htm 

= = = New Releases = = = 
Infill Development 
A new Northeast-Midwest Institute report, Strategies for Successful Infill Development, details proven strategies and case studies for the creative reuse of vacant or underused land in cities, towns, and suburbs.  Coauthored with the Congress for the New Urbanism, the report is designed to help local officials, business and property owners,  and other community member's plan, design, and finance successful infill.  The results can revitalize blighted communities, provide housing near job centers and transit, and preserve open space.  To order the report, contact bwells@nemw.org. 

How to Fix Your Neighborhood 
This fix-it manual by Citizen Planner Institute Director Harrison Bright Rue, Real Towns:  Making your
Neighborhood Work, can help citizens working on real neighborhoods – places filled with character, families, and history, with people who want to make their neighborhoods better.  Just as owner-builders can learn how to work on their homes, citizens can learn how to work on their communities. The obvious place to start is by looking at the parts that aren't working well – figuring out how they are interrelated – and diagnosing how to fix them together. This book gives local government officials, developers and citizen activists the tools needed to apply time-tested principles to revitalize their neighborhoods.             http://www.lgc.org/publications/center/clcpubs2.html 

= = = National News = = = 
The newly formed Coalition for Affordable Rental Housing, a coalition including the housing industry, mayors, and related groups, are urging Congress to assist in the construction of affordable rental housing across the country. The coalition is asking Congress to increase by 25% the base amount the Federal Housing Administration can insure for multifamily housing.            http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A982-2001Mar13.html

FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT
As the largest landlord in the country, the federal government's location siting decisions contribute heavily to urban revitalization, or to suburban sprawl.
http://washington.bcentral.com/washington/stories/2001/03/05/story6.html
New Jersey
In an effort to continue New Jersey's trend of guiding development into urban areas, the state Planning Commission adopted a new state land-use plan. 
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/jersey/ledger/128324a.html
Virginia 
"Virginia's Economic Incentives:  Missed Opportunities for Sustainable Growth," published by the Environmental Law Institute, examines the land-use effects of several major economic incentive programs and funds used in Virginia to attract new businesses and to support the expansion of existing businesses.  To read the report, visit www.eli.org.

NATURAL RESOURCES 
California
A new National Wildlife Federation White Paper, "Paving Paradise," finds for the first time on the basis of quantified research that sprawl is the leading cause of species imperilment in California. 
http://www.nwf.org/smartgrowth/pavingpress.html

PLANNING
Detroit
Plans have been unveiled to make Metro Detroit known more for its green landscape than for its most famous export. 
http://www.freep.com/news/metro/green1_20010301.htm
Portland
Although smart growth advocates frequently praise Portland, Oregon for its land-use policies, "anti-smart growth" critics skewer it just as often for these same policies.  This article helps to clear some of the confusion.
http://www.bluedogpress.com/news/opinion/
New Information for Planners 
The American Planning Association's research department has released a number of reports on a variety of smart growth topics at http://planning.org/plnginfo/highlite.html.  Among them: Transportation, Impact Fees and Excise Taxes: A Survey of 16 Jurisdictions; Incentive Zoning: Meeting Urban Design and Affordable Housing Objectives; A Critical Analysis of Planning and Land-Use Laws in Montana; a new Land-Based Classification System; and Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Regulating Sex Businesses.  Up-and-coming reports as well as the status of on-going research efforts are also included.

TRANSPORTATION
California
Plans to create a "transit village" at a suburban BART station have commuters nervous about losing parking spaces.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/03/01/MNC208296.DTL
Ohio
A new route for Ohio 32 along the Little Miami River would increase traffic and congestion in addition to threatening the ecosystem of the river.
http://enquirer.com/editions/2001/03/07/loc_conservationists.html
Utah
Commuter Rail in the Wasatch Front is one step closer to completion.
http://www.sltrib.com/03022001/utah/utah.htm
Wisconsin
Milwaukee officials hope to combine their train and bus depots to create a multi-modal station.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/mar01/depot02030101a.asp

= = = New Releases = = =
New Brookings Report on Growth in Los Angeles 
"Sprawl Hits the Wall: Confronting the Realities of Metropolitan Los Angeles," published by the Southern California Studies Center at USC and the Brookings Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy, shows that the Los Angeles region is at a crisis point. There is limited additional land on which to grow, and there are few additional resources left to consume, which means that the region can no longer run away from its problems: a distressed regional core, a severely taxed environment, and a fractured governance structure. The report argues that the Los Angeles region should, and can, grow differently. 
http://www.brookings.edu/urban

Recycling The Mall 
A new study by the Congress for the New Urbanism shows that failed regional shopping malls could become vibrant new neighborhoods, and profitable developments. The study finds that well over 100 enclosed regional malls are already in steep decline in the United States, and many more are at imminent risk. In the current epidemic of large retail store closures, the study provides a new direction for cities and towns worried about the blight of a failed mall. 
http://www.brookings.edu/urban/

Low Funds for Conservation Minded Farmers 
Thousands of farmers seeking federal financial and technical help to reduce polluted runoff, restore wildlife habitat, and combat sprawl are being rejected due to inadequate funding of federal conservation programs, according to a report released today by Environmental Defense.  The report, “Losing Ground”, is based on US Department of Agriculture (USDA) data and is available at www.environmentaldefense.org. 

= = = National News = = =
Grant Money Available for Smart Growth
The National Park Service is making funds available to upgrade urban parks and recreation areas.  They are seeking preapplications for the Urban Park and Recreation Program.  Grants of up to $500,000 are available for the rehabilitation of existing neighborhood recreation areas and facilities.  For more information contact Wayne Strum with the NPS at (202) 565-1129 or go to  http://www.ncrc.nps.gov/uparr/index.htm

EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) is pleased to announce a competition soliciting proposals from agencies involved with climate change and transportation/air quality issues. EPA is looking for innovative pilot projects that will spur reductions in transportation-related emissions of criteria pollutants as well as greenhouse gases, by decreasing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and increasing use of cleaner technologies, at the local level and throughout the United States.  EPA is particularly interested in encouraging projects that incorporate at least one of the following: Smart Growth efforts that reduce transportation-related emissions; Commuter Choice; Green Fleets/Cleaner Vehicles. This is the first of what will be an annual solicitation competition that offers seed money and technical assistance to support projects that will achieve real, quantifiable emissions reductions. To this purpose, EPA is making available financial assistance to each recipient, in the form of cooperative agreements.
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/transp.htm
 
 

= = = Highlight = = =
Oregon's Measure 7 Declared Unconstitutional 
An Oregon Circuit Court Judge has ruled that Ballot Measure 7 violates Oregon's Constitution. The measure, passed by a 53% to 47% margin last November, requires payments to landowners for reductions in property values caused by state or local government regulations.  The ruling is expected to be appealed.
http://www.friends.org/issues/rel_m7.html

= = = State and Local News = = =
FARMLAND PRESERVATION
Illinois
Royalties paid from a local casino could fund an aggressive farmland preservation program in Kane County.
http://chicagotribune.com/news/local/article/0,1051,SAV-0102210376,00.html
Michigan
A state program to preserve farmland in Macomb County, modeled on programs in 19 other states, has some residents nervous about the possible costs.
http://www.detroitnews.com/2001/metro/0102/28/a01-193715.htm

NEW URBANISM
Ohio
Brunswick, Ohio is the latest city in northeast Ohio attempting to revitalize its main street and downtown along new urbanist principles.
http://www.cleveland.com/news/index.ssf?/news/pd/ca25town.html
Pennsylvania
Thomas Hylton, author of "Save our Land, Save our Towns," penned this recent article for the Elm Street Writers Group on pedestrian scale developments. http://www.mlui.org/projects/growthmanagement/elmstreet/hylton2.html
To learn more about the Elm Street Writers Group, visit http://www.mlui.org/projects/growthmanagement/elmstreet/elmstreetintro.html

STATE LEGISLATION
Colorado
Colorado lawmakers are inching closer and closer to passing a statewide growth management plan.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/legislature/article/0,1299,DRMN_37_63331,00.html

REGIONAL PLANNING
Chicago
The latest study by Chicago Metropolis 2020, "Regional Realities: Measuring Progress Toward Shared Regional Goals," identifies and assesses progress in key areas of community life. It does so in the belief that social conditions inevitably influence the region's economic health. http://www.chicagometropolis2020.org/

SCHOOL SPRAWL
Georgia
This editorial in the Atlanta Journal Constitution cautions against new school construction contributing to sprawl.
http://www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/epaper/editions/friday/opinion_a369800ce5350181008a.html

TRANSPORTATION
California
The Irvine Unified School District voted to oppose the placement of a proposed $2-billion light rail line in their city, saying that the line would run adjacent to two high
schools and come too close to an elementary school.
http://www.latimes.com/editions/orange/20010221/t000015613.html
Texas
In the ongoing saga of Houston's 7.5-mile Main Street light rail line, it appears the battle will now be in court, rather than on the ballot. 
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/front/834349

= = = New Releases = = =
America's Most Endangered Battlefields
The Civil War Preservation Trust unveiled " America's Most Endangered Battlefields," identifying the ten most threatened Civil War sites in the United States and what can be done to rescue them.
http://www.civilwar.org

Growth at the November 2000 Ballot Box 
On Election Day 2000, there were more than 550 growth-related measures on the ballot in 38 states; 72 percent of these measures passed.  Growth at the Ballot Box: Electing the Shape of Communities in November 2000, a new report from the Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy at Brookings, provides a comprehensive listing of these growth-related ballot measures, plus an analysis of major proposals and a list of implications for the growth debate in the future. http://www.brookings.edu/urban

= = = National News = = =
In an unanimous decision the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to set new and tougher clean air standards without first considering the economic impact on industry, a major victory for federal efforts to control pollution. 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63586-2001Feb27.html