A 2018 Brightline train test run in Florida by BBT609 licensed under Creative Commons.

Construction begins for Brightline West. Older Americans are increasingly unable to find smaller housing to fit their needs as they age. The mayor of Nashville unveils a multimodal transportation improvement plan.

LA to Las Vegas high-speed rail construction begins: On Monday, April 22, construction began on Brightline West, a high-speed rail line that will connect the outskirts of Los Angeles, California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Once completed, trains on the line will reach speeds of 200 mph. The CEO of Brightline says he hopes to open the line for service by 2028 for the Los Angeles Olympics. (Julie Strupp | Smart Cities Dive)

Aging in place or stuck there? Older Americans who believed they would be able to sell their homes to downsize are feeling stuck. As property taxes and homeownership costs increase, older populations are increasingly feeling the burden of a lack of affordable, diverse housing options. (This article may be behind a paywall). (Paula Span | New York Times)

Nashville mayor unveils transit plan: On Friday, April 19, the mayor of Nashville, TN, released a $3.1 billion transportation plan that includes transit improvements and complete streets upgrades for the city. The proposed improvements would be funded by a half-cent sales tax that voters need to approve in a referendum this fall. The plan includes 54 miles of upgraded streets with priority bus treatments and property would be purchased near major transit nodes for transit-oriented development. The plan makes funding available to double bus service beyond existing levels. (Cassandra Stephenson | Nashville Tennessean)

A much older example of social housing than Vienna: A lot of social housing advocates look to Vienna, Austria, for inspiration for creating more affordable housing for cities. But there’s an older example that should perhaps be considered, according to Miriam Axel-Lute — Teotihuacan in what is now Mexico in 300 CE. At that time, the city’s temples fell out of use and a new grid of communal apartment blocks emerged. (Miriam Axel-Lute | Shelterforce)

Design Week has changed Milan: Milan, Italy, is famous for its “weeks” including Design Week and Fashion Week. But those short bursts of activity have also changed the commercial real estate market as property owners are drawn to the lure of short-term rentals and aggressive gentrification occurs. The events have changed, too, from places of experimentation and conviviality to overcrowded and overhyped scenes. (Lucia Tozzi | DomusWeb)

Quote of the Week

“Every summer, after the season closes and the oysters begin to spawn, I work to restore sections of salt marsh within our lease whose banks were stripped of oysters long ago. I plant wooden stakes along the intertidal zone to which microscopic oysters will attach in the summer and eventually grow into dense, mature clusters. With time and additional generations of oysters, these growing clusters become healthy beds, and the eroded marsh will begin to heal itself.”

Oysterman Cyrus Buffum in Esquire Magazine discusses how he works a section in South Carolina Lowcountry, farming oysters and restoring ecosystems.

This week on the podcast, we’re joined by Sara Stickler, President and CEO of WTS International. We discuss how WTS highlights women’s expertise in transportation and how they create opportunities from mentorship to leadership and education.