Heather Brandon has been considering potential private sector solution to the problem of blight: community land trusts. The land trust model is often conceived as useful for protecting natural resources. Urban resources can similarly be protected. Published by Urban Compass
; Publication Date: September 30, 2010
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Link: /issues/documents/neighborhoods/ucompass_093010.asp
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Most big box stores look like they were air-dropped into a sea of asphalt. These cavernous cubes increasingly are thought of as ugly, traffic-generating wastes of land that harm local businesses and ruin the look and feel of small towns. But if the box is tucked in among homes and offices, does it shed any of the negative baggage? Can a big box be part of an appealing mixed-use development? These questions are raised by a highly contentious proposal for 60 acres along Route 10 in Simsbury. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: July 23, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/UrbanSprawl/htfd_courant_072306.asp
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Tom Condon writes that in 1973, when Earl Blumenauer was a 24-year-old, first-term state legislator in Oregon, he voted for the landmark urban growth boundary law, one of the strongest anti-sprawl measures ever enacted. Most of the country, including Connecticut, didn't follow suit and allowed sprawl to continue. Since 1996, Blumenauer, a Democrat, has represented Portland, Oregon in Congress and tried to bring its green message to the rest of the country. Blumenauer was in Hartford on Monday with Rep. John Larson to speak at a sustainability program concerning Hartford's iQuilt plan. The iQuilt is a plan to connect Hartford's cultural institutions with pedestrian and bicycling routes. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: July 04, 2010
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Link: /issues/documents/downtowndevelopment/htfd_courant_070410.asp
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This Courant editorial urges the next governor�s office to make Smart Growth a priority, whether the Republican, Governor M. Jodi Rell or the Democratic challenger, Mayor John DeStefano, is the winner. Smart growth is not a partisan issue. After the election, the governor should convene a session with legislative leaders, key commissioners and civic groups such as 1,000 Friends to take the best of the candidates' proposals, plus examples that work in other states, and put together a program that will do the job in Connecticut. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: October 27, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/SmartGrowth/htfd_courant_102706.asp
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The most interesting ideas a recent One City, One Plan POCD meeting arose during the small group discussions. A theme throughout several of the group discussions was that of sustainable design, planning, zoning, and ordinances. Published by Real Hartford
; Publication Date: December 09, 2009
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/realhtfd_120909_1.asp
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Aetna Inc. will begin charging its employees for parking in 2007. Beginning Jan. 1, parking fees will apply to all users of Aetna's garages and executive parking areas. Beginning in 2008, fees will also be charged to the users of surface parking lots, although those fees have not yet been established. This is a smart growth policy because it will encourage the use of other, less wasteful commuting options and allow the company to use less land for parked cars. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 24, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/Transportation/htfd_courant_122406_a.asp
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In 1989 the legislature passed an affordable housing appeals law intended to pry open the gates that affluent towns often erect against housing for working-class and poor people. But 15 years later, an analysis based on state housing and federal census data suggests the law has failed to forge significant progress. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: November 21, 2004
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/htfd_courant_112104.asp
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Urban Expert David Rusk Outlines The Merits - And Limitations - Of Regional Cooperation in this interview with Tom Condon of the Hartford Courant. This interviewed first appeared in the August 8, 2004 edition of the Courant. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: August 8, 2004
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Link: /issues/documents/urbansprawl/courant_080804.asp
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Tom Condon writes that housing subdivisions may be on the way out, as an aging population in the U.S. looks for the convenience of condos and clustered housing close to transit and shopping. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: May 08, 2011
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Link: /issues/documents/homeownership/htfd_courant_050811.asp
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Clustering new housing around Connecticut's job centers, transit lines and existing commercial hubs would significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the cost of infrastructure in the decades ahead, regional planners recently said at a forum in Hartford. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: June 01, 2009
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Link: /issues/documents/urbansprawl/htfd_courant_060109.asp
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Tom Condon expresses the opinion that Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell's plan to cap municipal property taxes strikes him � as it did when she proposed it last year � as a simplistic and incomplete solution to a very complex problem, and one that will almost assuredly drive more sprawl. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: January 20, 2008
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Link: /issues/documents/taxes/htfd_courant_012008.asp
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Several months ago, Hartford officials relined Asylum Avenue through the Asylum Hill neighborhood with bike lanes on the outside, one travel lane and some central turning lanes. But the changes drew many complaints, and now the city has mostly painted them over and abandoned them. The problem, said city transportation chief Kevin Burnham, is that the street is just too narrow. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 09, 2008
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/htfd_courant_120908.asp
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The Connecticut Regional Institute for the 21st Century is a public-private partnership formed in the late 1990s around the work of consultant Michael Gallis, an expert in regional development. The institute recently issued its third report, "Economic Vitality & Competitive Cities." The thrust is that Connecticut's cities, many of which are struggling, are important to the state's economic future and must be revitalized. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: September 24, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/Region/htfd_courant_092406.asp
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Tom Condon expresses the opinion that across the country, developers are starting to use "smart growth" to define whatever it is they happen to be building. It may be happening in Connecticut, as well. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: June 17, 2007
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Link: /issues/documents/Region/htfd_courant_061707.asp
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The Farmington Canal Trail is a part of the East Coast Greenway (www.greenway.org), a pathway that will connect cities along the East Coast from Calais, Maine, to Key West, Fla. In the Hartford region, the greenway will begin on the Hop River Trail in Andover and travel through Bolton, meet the Charter Oak Greenway in Manchester and East Hartford, connect to the riverfront trails, proceed through Hartford and Bloomfield and go through the gap in the ridge at Tariffville to connect to the canal trail. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: October 10, 2010
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Link: /issues/documents/region/htfd_courant_101010.asp
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In this opinion piece, the author suggests that over the Connecticut Climate Change Action Plan, outlines the strategies to reduce emissions that can help us avert the most serious effects of climate change. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: November 07, 2010
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/htfd_courant_110710.asp
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Anton Rick-Ossen recently began taking the bus from the West End of Hartford to Pratt and Whitney in East Hartford. He offers his observations and suggestions for improved service. An express bus from the West End across the river to East Hartford via I-84 would help tie two parts of the metro area together, and lessen congestion downtown. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 24, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/Transportation/htfd_courant_122406_b.asp
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The Hartford's announcement in December 2008 that it would tear down the MassMutual building for more parking perfectly illustrates the city's most serious transportation issue. Connecticut's capital city has a series of companies struggling to accommodate their large drive-alone workers in a city with very limited transit resources and limited parking. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: January 13, 2008
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Link: /issues/documents/transportation/htfd_courant_011308_1.asp
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In this editorial, the Courant staff comment on Gov. M. Jodi Rell�s positions and proposed state budget. They comment that while she has supported some key positions that are friendly to the environment, most of the funds to implement a new brownfields remediation program have been stripped from her budget proposal. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: May 6, 2007
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Link: /issues/documents/SmartGrowth/htfd_courant_050607.asp
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In this editorial, the Courant expresses the opinion that Smart Growth can happen in Connecticut, but it won't unless Gov. Rell and legislative leaders work together to make it a top priority. In so doing, they will be protecting the state's quality of life. That should not be a partisan concern. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: November 12, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/SmartGrowth/htfd_courant_111206.asp
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We've learned a great deal about food, wine and fashion from the French. So far, so good. Now we should take a close look at French cities. Where French and U.S. cities differ is in how they accommodate the car. Hartford, hardly alone among U.S. cities and not the worst, nonetheless went way too far in retrofitting itself for the car. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: May 15, 2011
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/htfd_courant_051511.asp
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It would seem intuitive: If gasoline prices become painful enough, people will find ways to cope, such as car-pooling or using mass transit. Now there are statistics to buttress that assumption in at least one respect. They come in a state Department of Transportation report completed only last month and based upon monitoring of the high-occupancy vehicle lanes on interstates 91, 84 and 384. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 29, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/Transportation/htfd_courant_122906.asp
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State Rep. Art Feltman has proposed several bills in the General Assembly aimed at maintaining Connecticut�s quality of life and promote smart growth. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: April 1, 2007
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Link: /issues/documents/Region/htfd_courant_040107.asp
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In this editorial, the Hartford Courant expresses the opinion that Gov. M. Jodi Rell's initiative to "green" the state Capitol is fine as far as it goes, but the growing energy and environmental challenges we face call for much stiffer tea. How about greening all state properties? How about stopping the relentless sprawl that is the state's most serious environmental problem? Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: September 08, 2010
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Link: /issues/documents/environment/htfd_courant_090810.asp
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As House chairman of the General Assembly's Planning and Development Committee, Lewis J. Wallace Jr. heard from residents at numerous public hearings about the problems caused by sprawl. The committee identified five great needs our state must meet to enhance our quality of life: The need to create jobs and homes, to preserve open space, to encourage people to live in urban areas, to save tax dollars and to encourage participation in planning at the local level of government. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: July 9, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/htfd_courant_070906_c.asp
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1000 Friends of Connecticut was founded in 2005 to make responsible development one of the most important issues in state political campaigns. The group, however, had a tepid beginning, holding just four candidate forums featuring "smart growth" as the main topic. Published by The Hartford Advocate
; Publication Date: October 13, 2008
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Link: /issues/documents/region/htfd_advocate_101308.asp
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In this editorial, the Courant takes the position that the General Assembly took a step toward joining the national green-building movement when it set energy and environmental standards for state-funded building projects. But with today's soaring energy costs and mounting concern about the role of carbon emissions in global warming, lawmakers must go much further. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 10, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/Environment/htfd_courant_121006.asp
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The costs of spawl are high. Schools, sewers, electric lines and other infrastructure are expensive to build and maintain. Low density growth increases the costs. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: October 9, 2005
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Link: /issues/documents/urbansprawl/htfd_courant_100905_c.asp
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Tom Condon writes that when the city announced it was seeking public input for its plan of conservation and development, the document that guides the city's thinking on growth and development for a 10-year period, there was a certain skepticism. But, at Mayor Eddie Perez's behest, chief administrative officer David Panagore and his staff merged all of the plans done in recent years � the two Greenberg plans, the Urban Land Institute study, the new iQuilt plan, etc. � into one document, called One City, One Plan. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 13, 2009
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Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_121309.asp
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An architect and planner proposes that there is a movement back to the "Village" or town center which is demonstrated by the renaissance of Connecticut's center cities. Likewise in the suburbs, a village-like neighborhood that is interesting, walkable, and has a variety of housing units clustered together, is the wave of the future. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: October 9, 2005
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Link: /issues/documents/urbansprawl/htfd_courant_100905_d.asp
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In this commentary, the author expresses the opinion that the over-dependency in the U.S. on cars is perhaps the leading reason so many of the central cities are struggling to regain urban vitality. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: April 13, 2008
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Link: /issues/documents/transportation/htfd_courant_041308_1.asp
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The recent death of the great pro-urban thinker and city advocate Jane Jacobs coincided with the news of CIGNA HealthCare's decision to save the Wilde Building. The Wilde Building is an architectural landmark of national and international significance, eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: May 21, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/history/htfd_courant_052106.asp
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A UConn economist suggests that sprawl is not a individual lifestyle choice, but a result of from the incentive structure of mortgages, the pressures on local governments and the unwillingness of the people of Connecticut, through their elected representatives, to change the rules. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: October 9, 2005
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Link: /issues/documents/urbansprawl/htfd_courant_100905_a.asp
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When Connecticut was at its economic zenith, we had diverse, interesting, densely populated cities served by roads and trains. After decades of poorly planned suburban sprawl, most policy makers are willing to concede that the original settlement pattern had something to recommend it. This is the thinking that supports transit-oriented development, or TOD, generally defined as development within a half-mile of a transit station or stop. The idea has broad support. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: March 26, 2012
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Link: /issues/documents/transportation/htfd_courant_032612.asp
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Matthew Davis, has worked as a planner in both the public and private sectors, expresses the opinion that in the debate over smart growth in the past year or two in Connecticut, one assumption has gone unchallenged: that the tax system is a cause of sprawl. This is false. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 17, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/SmartGrowth/htfd_courant_121706_a.asp
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In this editorial, the Courant suggests that in the current fiscal crisis in Connecticut setting priorities and focusing not on what to cut, but on what to keep is good advice because it forces lawmakers to set real priorities. One of those priorities must be responsible growth. The state must encourage sensible increases in density in city and town centers and other areas of concentrated development. To this end, it is troubling to see two strong smart-growth efforts in jeopardy. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: April 25, 2009
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/htfd_courant_042509.asp
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Sweeping legislation proposed recently would vastly increase the state's efforts to grow more compactly and efficiently. The legislative package is the result of a year's work by the bipartisan, public/private Smart Growth Working Group. The proposed laws place a heavy emphasis on regional planning and cooperation. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: January 27, 2009
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/htfd_courant_012709.asp
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Toni Gold suggests that Connecticut has a transportation crisis and needs to implement a new transportation policy. It is past time for Connecticut to start facilities for other modes of travel, besides roads - not only mass transit, but walking and biking facilities as well, all linked to state and local land-use plans. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: April 16, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/transportation/htfd_courant_041606.asp
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Tom Sevigny expresses the opinion that far from being the result of a free market system, urban sprawl is the direct consequence of government subsidies, intense corporate lobbying and manipulation through the legalized bribery we call campaign contributions, not to mention stifling zoning regulations that have limited the choices Americans have when it comes to where we live and how we get from place to place. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: March 5, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/SmartGrowth/htfd_courant_030506.asp
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This Courant editorial expresses the opinion that in our current global economy, states compete by being healthy, attractive and stimulating places to live. Southern New England, with its scenic countryside, historic cities and village centers, and charming coastline, can compete with anyone. But if the traditional countryside continues to be overrun by subdivisions and strip malls connected by ever-widening highways, if the farms die off and the cities are half-used, we compromise our own prosperity. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: June 18, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/htfd_courant_061806.asp
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While Connecticut has addressed its affordable housing under the Affordable Housing Appeals Act, it may be more effective to view housing as an asset for both the homeowner and the state of Connecticut. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: May 15, 2005
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Link: /issues/documents/housing/htfd_courant_051505.asp
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Biking to the office saves energy, promotes personal health and is part of a national movement. Rick Green tells us that Hartford is now adding bike lanes when it repaves streets. Soon distinctive red bike racks will be installed downtown. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: February 27, 2007
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Link: /issues/documents/Health/htfd_courant_022707.asp
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Gov. Dannel P. Malloy recently unveiled a new branding campaign titled "Still Revolutionary." �Still Revolutionary" suggests both the state's history and its tradition of invention and innovation. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: May 14, 2012
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Link: /issues/documents/region/htfd_courant_051412.asp
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Federal transportation officials downgraded their rating of Greater Hartford's top mass transit priority, a proposed rapid bus link between Hartford and New Britain - a decision that leaves the $337 million plan in doubt. The so-called New Britain-Hartford busway would create a 9.6-mile bus-only roadway, a transit route that would pass through Newington and the Elmwood section of West Hartford as it followed railroad rights of way to connect the downtowns of Hartford and New Britain. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: February 9, 2005
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Link: /issues/documents/transportation/htfd_courant_020905.asp
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A bold proposal was developed this year by a graduate seminar at the University of Pennsylvania. The students created a plan to build a new, separate, high-speed rail system in the Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington, D.C. The plan largely uses the existing corridor from Washington to New York. The daring part of the plan is north of New York. The new high-speed line would travel east down Long Island and then under Long Island Sound through a 20-mile, three-tube tunnel to New Haven. From there, it would travel in the median of I-91 to Hartford and then on the median of I-84 and the Mass Pike to Boston. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: September 12, 2010
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Link: /issues/documents/transportation/htfd_courant_091210.asp
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Since the end of World War II, central Connecticut has been beset by suburban sprawl. Hartford has lost almost a third of its peak population, while former rural towns have boomed, although with low-density, auto-driven development. In recent years, state government has tried to counter this trend with smart, or responsible, growth policies. As Greater Hartford thinks about becoming a more cohesive metro region, it must plan to grow smartly to save energy, cut pollution, preserve open space and save farms. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 29, 2009
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Link: /issues/documents/region/htfd_courant_122909.asp
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In this editorial, the Courant expresses the opinion that in a state such as Connecticut that is heavily reliant on property taxes to fund local government, revenue-sharing may help create more cohesive metropolitan regions. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 30, 2009
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/htfd_courant_123009.asp
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By executive order, Gov. M. Jodi Rell created a new state office to help control "rampant, ill-conceived" development that she says is threatening the character of Connecticut communities. Rell unveiled the Office of Responsible Growth that will coordinate numerous state agencies that oversee land use and will attempt to stop the spread of what is commonly known as "sprawl." The new office will operate within Rell's budget department, and she hopes it can be handled by the existing staff. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: October 7, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/SmartGrowth/htfd_courant_100706.asp
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Tom Condon writes that when a gallon of gas hits $7, more people in Connecticut are going to look for transportation alternatives � mostly buses and trains. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: May 25, 2008
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Link: /issues/documents/transportation/htfd_courant_052508.asp
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Tom Condon writes that conventional real estate lenders won't finance a commercial building that is bold, innovative and built to last 100 years. The real estate lending market has calcified into a hidebound, risk-averse, rigid institution that lends money to build only certain kinds of real estate "products," nearly all of which promote sprawl. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: July 10, 2011
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Link: /issues/documents/homeownership/htfd_courant_071011.asp
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In this editorial, the Hartford Courant expresses the opinion that in the past four years, a group called 1,000 Friends of Connecticut, led by dynamic president Heidi Green, has helped turn the state toward a more sustainable and conservative pattern of growth and development. After four years at the helm of 1,000 Friends, Ms. Green is leaving to take a development position at Trinity College. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 14, 2009
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Link: /issues/documents/region/htfd_courant_121409.asp
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From the moment the recent recession reared its head, the phrase "It's a shame to let a good crisis go to waste" has been a theme in many quarters � nowhere more than the smart-growth quarter, where advocates have urged that this time of curtailed spending should be used to rein in policies that have promoted sprawl. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: March 06, 2011
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/htfd_courant_030611.asp
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Tom Condon expresses the opinion that the term "smart growth," or the variation "responsible growth," has worked its way into Connecticut policy debates and into state law in the past few years, but we still aren't really doing it � walking the walk, growing smartly. This became painfully clear as he read Andres Duany's new book, "The Smart Growth Manual." Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: March 07, 2010
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/htfd_courant_030710.asp
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Tom Condon writes that when the recession began a couple of years ago, then-White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel urged the country not to let a serious crisis go to waste. He meant that the beleaguered economy could allow changes that before were thought impossible. Connecticut thus far has largely failed to take advantage of the crisis, and instead has just bumbled along, hoping for a miracle recovery, missing opportunities. One is in the area of land-use planning, a chronic weakness in this state. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: November 14, 2010
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Link: /issues/documents/urbansprawl/htfd_courant_111410.asp
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Officials in Maryland have, unlike most of their counterparts in Connecticut, figured out that sprawl is expensive. They are doing something about it. Connecticut, not so much. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: October 03, 2011
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/htfd_courant_100311.asp
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In this commentary, Donald Poland writes that notably absent in the ongoing state-level discussion on the need for so-called "responsible growth" is an emphasis on the most important element: growth. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: March 02, 2008
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/htfd_courant_030208.asp
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This Courant editorial expresses the opinion that most of the steps recently recommended by the Responsible Growth task force to Gov. Jodi Rell are smart and efficient ideas. But they involve change, and Connecticut stands second to none in its resistance to doing things differently. Someone in a position to effect change will have to take the lead. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: February 13, 2008
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/htfd_courant_021308.asp
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The smart growth revolution is based on something very simple: That there's lots of infrastructure and urban land and even suburban neighborhoods to take advantage of before it's ever necessary to turn the bulldozers loose in another cornfield. This is especially true for the town centers and downtowns and small- and medium-sized cities of New England. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: July 9, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/htfd_courant_070906_a.asp
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Hartford or bigger cities like New Haven, the traditional Main Street in Connecticut and other states is proving to be a model around which to build livable and energy-efficient communities. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 27, 2009
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/htfd_courant_122709.asp
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The increasingly popularity of bicycling across Connecticut has raised questions about cyclists' legal rights and responsibilities, as well as those of motorists toward cyclists. Place asked Hartford lawyer and cyclist Christopher M. Vossler to explain the law. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: October 29, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/Transportation/htfd_courant_102906_a.asp
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Sprawl and its alternative - what planners and policy types call "smart growth" - were the topic at a recent Key Issues forum sponsored by The Courant and moderated by Courant Place Editor Tom Condon. Former Maryland Gov. Parris N. Glendening and former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman spoke at the auditorium at Christ Church Cathedral in Hartford. While in office, both governors said, they made smart growth a policy priority. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: July 14, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/htfd_courant_071406.asp
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The Rev. Josh Pawelek and Ann Pratt of the Greater Hartford Interfaith Coalition for Equity and Justice review evidence that the development and maintenance of sprawl is based on "spatial racism" Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: November 27, 2005
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Link: /issues/documents/urbansprawl/htfd_courant_112705.asp
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Although sprawl is most often associated with the far reaches of suburbia, many older American city centers have been affected by it � progressively reshaped and transformed in an effort to make them more competitive with their burgeoning suburbs. In Hartford, a fundamental change occurred in the look and configuration of the city, but also in how its transportation functions. Over the last 60 years, what has been created in downtown Hartford is a hybrid urban form that functions more like suburban sprawl than a traditional urban place. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: June 18, 2010
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Link: /issues/documents/downtowndevelopment/htfd_courant_061810.asp
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The former governors of Maryland and New Jersey, Parris N. Glendening and Christine Todd Whitman respectively, comment on the development of sprawl in Connecticut. They suggest that lessons learned in their home states may help Connecticut grow. The goal is not to try to stop growth and development, but to harness and shape it so that communities get better as they grow, and so that the state's rural and natural legacy can be passed to future generations. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: July 9, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/htfd_courant_070906.asp
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In this commentary, the author suggests that as part of her anti-sprawl effort, Gov. M. Jodi Rell should create a graduate school at the University of Connecticut in planning and design that would give students the practical experience central to reversing sprawl and increasing economic opportunity. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 10, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/SmartGrowth/htfd_courant_121006.asp
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This editorial suggests that sprawl is the most serious challenge facing the state. The 2000 census showed dozens of small rural towns in both the eastern and western parts of Connecticut growing at a breakneck rate, while population fell in four of the state's five largest cities. Nearly all of this development is sprawl - ill-planned, low-density, auto-dependent, single-family residential or strip mall construction on what was forest or farmland. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: October 9, 2005
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Link: /issues/documents/urbansprawl/htfd_courant_100905.asp
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In this editorial, the Courant expresses the opinion that considering the perilous state of the budget, the movement toward more efficient and environmentally sound development in Connecticut, called smart growth, has fared reasonably well in 2009. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: July 08, 2009
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/htfd_courant_070809.asp
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US Census Bureau�s population estimates indicate outer suburbs are still absorbing Connecticut�s growth. According to census estimates for the period July 2007 to July 2009, nearly all the fastest growing communities are outer-ring suburban towns � as has been the case for decades. The fastest growing town in this period was East Windsor, whose population increased 4.14 percent. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: July 07, 2010
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/htfd_courant_070710.asp
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In this opinion piece, the author expresses the opinion that the state's effort to bring back commuter rail service to the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield line can't happen soon enough. By creating a strong foundation for future transit service, the region will be poised to grow its economy and become a stronger link in the Northeast Corridor economy. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: June 3, 2007
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Link: /issues/documents/Region/htfd_courant_060307.asp
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This Courant editorial comments on Gov. M. Jodi Rell�s announcement of a national search for a deputy commissioner of the state Department of Transportation who will focus on mass transit and anti-sprawl measures. The deputy commissioner can be a leader in fighting sprawl, with the strong support of the commissioner and the governor. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: September 10, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/Transportation/htfd_courant_091006.asp
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In this editorial, the Courant expresses the opinion that it is imperative that the incoming governor and legislative leaders get out in front of the nascent smart growth movement and nurture it with changes in state policy. Grass-roots efforts are beginning to coalesce into a statewide coalition under the banner of 1,000 Friends of Connecticut. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: July 9, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/htfd_courant_070906_b.asp
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Tom Condon expresses the opinion that if state officials are handing out public money in the form of grants, loans or tax breaks to corporations, they should require - not encourage or suggest, require - that the corporations set up shop in town centers or transit corridors. Subsidizing sprawl worsens the state's quality of life. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: April 1, 2007
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Link: /issues/documents/UrbanSprawl/htfd_courant_040107.asp
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The latest national survey of commuting patterns, Commuting in America III, shows that drivers are traveling longer distances to work and, of course, taking more time to get there. In Connecticut, the state Department of Transportation says the average commute for a Connecticut worker increased from 21.1 minutes in 1991 to 24.8 minutes in 2005. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: October 23, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/Transportation/htfd_courant_102306.asp
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Ken Krayeske comments on the recent public meetings concerning urban planning and development in the Hartford region: a set of presentations by Ken Greenberg for Hartford 2010, and a presentation on Smart Growth and preventing urban sprawl by former governors Parris Glendening of Maryland and Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey. Published by The Hartford News
; Publication Date: July 19, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/Immigrants/htfd_news_071906.asp
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This Hartford Courant editorial encourages Gov. M. Jodi Rell to introduce a smart growth budget in which the state assumes a larger share of education costs. It will get towns out of the taxing rat race and protect our quality of life. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 17, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/SmartGrowth/htfd_courant_121706.asp
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In this commentary, Tom Sevigny expresses the opinion that in the end, unplanned growth, both commercial and residential, will cost towns more than they receive in property taxes. There is a need for commercial development along major routes such as 44. However, such development needs to be carefully planned, within scale, and designed to keep a town's character intact. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: July 23, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/UrbanSprawl/htfd_courant_072306_a.asp
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Because it is so heavily dependent on cars and highways, Hartford has sometimes been thought of as a smaller version of Los Angeles. It would be hard to spin that as a compliment. But as with many stereotypes, this one is dated. Los Angeles has begun to drastically change how citizens interact with its built environment. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 05, 2010
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Link: /issues/documents/transportation/htfd_courant_120510.asp
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State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier has proposed a $100 million fund to aid working families in Connecticut to afford housing. The fund would be financed by bonds, unclaimed bank accounts, and assets held by the state. Housing near transit lines and stations has been successful in in other cities and Connecticut should be able to benefit similarly. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: March 21, 2005
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Link: /issues/documents/housing/htfd_courant_032105.asp
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In March of 2003, the demographer Myron Orfield warned that Connecticut, despite its wealth, was not on a path for healthy growth. Orfield was the principal author of "Connecticut Metropatterns � A Regional Agenda for Community and Prosperity in Connecticut." The study looked at the state's growth patterns and found "inequality and sprawl. The Metropatterns report was one of many efforts in to stop the low-density, wasteful development patterns. For all of that, sprawl continues. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: February 27, 2013
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Link: /issues/documents/region/htfd_courant_022713.asp
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House Speaker James Amann, D-Milford, recently proposed a $5 billion funding plan to improve railroads, upgrade highways and expand bus service - projects expected to be funded evenly by federal and state funds. The state portion would be $2.5 billion over 10 years in state bonds, which would be paid partially by further increasing the gross receipts tax on petroleum products, beyond already scheduled increases. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: March 9, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/Transportation/htfd_courant_030906.asp
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Toni Gold reviews three of the transportation bills now in the General Assembly that seek to fund the same transit projects: more rail cars for Metro-North, and more funds for the Hartford-New Britain busway. In fact, transit is the largest area of overlap in the bills, and that's an encouraging sign. But is that enough? How about making public transit not only the lead transportation program in the coming years, but the lead economic development strategy as well? Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: April 23, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/transportation/htfd_courant_042306.asp
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Blue Back Square Development in West Hartford is being watched around the state, with good reason. The once-rural Connecticut landscape is being relentlessly bulldozed for low-density, auto-dependent subdivisions. If we are to bring this chaotic sprawl under control, without stopping growth, the answer is to carefully increase density in the areas that are already built, such as town centers, transit corridors and job sites. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: January 29, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/Housing/htfd_courant_012906_a.asp
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In this editorial, the Hartford Courant expresses the opinion that "shovel-ready" should not be the sole criterion for funding recovery projects. The expected federal stimulus money should be used to strengthen town centers and connect them with modern transit. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 14, 2008
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Link: /issues/documents/history/htfd_courant_121408.asp
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Here's a startling statistic that demands attention, brought to you by a coalition of smart people committed to increasing the amount of affordable housing in Connecticut: In 2005, a family earning the median income couldn't qualify for a mortgage on a median-priced home in 157 of the state's 169 towns. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: February 18, 2007
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Link: /issues/documents/Housing/htfd_courant_021807.asp
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The federal government has been influencing where people live since the Depression, when it involved itself in a major way in the housing market. This involvement included, shamefully, redlining urban neighborhoods for home loans as well as building public housing projects and, later, constructing the interstate highway system. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: March 11, 2013
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Link: /issues/documents/smartgrowth/htfd_courant_031113.asp
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Tom Condon suggests that building smaller houses in mixed-income developments is preferable to mega houses, but that zoning laws must change in Connecticut if this is to happen. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: November 27, 2005
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Link: /issues/documents/housing/htfd_courant_112705.asp
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This commentary by James RePass, president of the National Corridors Initiative, suggests that Connecticut should take advantage of an opportunity to buy double-decker rail cars that are similar to those being manufactured for New Jersey Transit. The DOT is revitalizing the rail line between New Haven, Hartford and Springfield to serve commuters who otherwise must take the highway, or the infrequent, expensive Amtrak trains. The track work is getting underway and will be largely completed in two to three years. Buying the rail cars now would save money and time. Published by The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: October 29, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/Transportation/htfd_courant_102906.asp
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