Obama promotes liveable cities and green transport with White House budget proposal
by Kim Megson | 05 Feb 2016
Obama wants investment in high-speed rail, self-driving cars, mass transit networks and low-carbon technologies / Pete Souza
US President Barack Obama will promote the advancement of liveable cities next week with a White House budget proposal raising money for green transportation projects.
According to reports, the mooted proposal would raise funding for environmental infrastructure initiatives by making US oil firms pay a tax of US$10 (€8.90, £6.85) on every barrel of oil they produce.
Obama will reportedly make the case for $300bn (€286.1bn, £208.3bn) worth of investments over the next decade in high-speed rail, self-driving cars, mass transit networks, low-carbon technologies and other initiatives to reduce congestion and bring down carbon emissions.
The proposal – which is highly unlikely to pass through the Republican-controlled Congress due to fears the tax would increase the cost of petrol – is the latest move Obama has made to put the issue of climate change and the need for environmental initiatives on the national agenda.
Speaking at the Paris Climate Conference last year, he said: “If we place our own short-term interests behind the air that our young people will breathe, and the food that they will eat, and the water that they will drink, and the hopes and dreams that sustain their lives, then we won't be too late for them.
“The United States of America not only recognises our role in creating this problem [of climate change], we embrace our responsibility to do something about it.”
The concept of liveable cities has become more prominent in recent years. Developers such as US real estate company Delos have developed standards to ensure new urban spaces are designed to enhance the health and wellbeing of residents.
Delos is currently creating a US$2bn (€1.8bn, £1.3bn) urban scheme in Tampa, Florida which it says will feature “abundant green space, including low-pollen trees; sound barriers to support acoustic comfort; access to healthy foods; green infrastructure; and daily monitoring and reporting of district air quality.”
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FEATURE: Wellness architecture – Building for health
US President Barack Obama will promote the advancement of liveable cities next week with a White House budget proposal raising money for green transportation projects. According to reports, the mooted proposal would raise funding for environmental infrastructure initiatives by making US oil firms pay a tax of US$10 (€8.90, £6.85) on every barrel of oil they produce. Obama will reportedly make the case for $300bn (€286.1bn, £208.3bn) worth of investments
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