The Colorado Department of Transportation recently drafted a new rule that would require state and local governments to measure and potentially offset greenhouse gas emission impacts of transportation projects.
In this scheme, local government entities would have preset greenhouse gas emission budgets, and would be required to offset emissions if they exceed those budgets when implementing transportation projects. That could take the form of transit services, bicycle infrastructure, zoning decisions that enable density, et cetera. If these public entities do not meet requirements and don't offset emissions, then the state may restrict their use of certain funds. (Note that this is literally the wording of the legislation itself: "certain funds." It doesn't specify which funds.)
This, of course, all comes as CDOT is slated to receive billions of dollars of new funding from the state and the federal government. The intent of the new rule, then, would be to shift conditions that are currently enabling status quo infrastructure investment that would continue to spread Colorado's development pattern out farther and farther.
This week on Upzoned, Abby and Chuck take a look at an article from Colorado Public Radio that tackles this subject and they "upzone" it—i.e., they look at it through the Strong Towns lens. They talk about what does and doesn't work with the top-down, bureaucratic approach this legislation is taking to address our development and climate issues.
Then, in the downzone, Chuck is following up on old characters, and Abby's gearing up for a fun trip.
Additional Show Notes
“A Proposed Rule Would Target Colorado’s Polluting Road Projects,“ by Nathaniel Minor, Colorado Public Radio (August, 2021).
Abby Kinney (Twitter)
Charles Marohn (Twitter)
Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom (Soundcloud)
So a Hacker's Holding Your City's Data for Ransom....
Is the End of the Single-Family Neighborhood Near?
The Two Things Your City Needs to Do If You Want to End Blight
Why Our Housing Problems Don't Obey the Laws of Physics
Why does Strong Towns put *so* much emphasis on its members—and why is that so unusual in the nonprofit world?
What Would You Do if You Got a $5,000 Street Repair Bill in the Mail?
How Conservatives and Liberals Define "Fair"—and What It Means For Our Cities' Futures
Cracking Down on Pedestrians Won't Make Streets Safer
No, Revitalizing Rural America Isn't A Lost Cause. But the Way You're Thinking About it Might Be.
Can Any City Really Survive on Locally-Grown Food Alone?
Will Smart City Technology Really Make Our Places Stronger?
So Your Town is Building Lots of New Housing Units! But How Many New *Doorbells* Are You Losing?
Strong Towns: The Book is Finally Coming. But Why *Now*?
Why Does Your City Stop When It Snows?
Will Electric Vehicles Save the World, or Make Our Cities Weaker?
What Would You Do if the Government Put a Speed Limiter on Your Car?
What Happens When Algorithms Get Into the Home Flipping Business
Forget Gas and Insurance. How Much Does Your Daily Commute Really Cost You?
Accessory Dwelling Units Rock. But Should States Be Overriding Cities' Laws About Building Them?
Can Cities Like St. Louis Get Financially Stronger by Merging with Richer Places?
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Commercial Edge: Unleash the Power of People
The emPOWERed Half Hour
Social Dallas Podcast
Change Church Podcast
Nonprofits Are Messy: Lessons in Leadership | Fundraising | Board Development | Communications
Six Degrees with Kevin Bacon
Advocacy Scoop Podcast