From Los Angeles to Hong Kong to Sydney, the best—and the cheapest—views are on ferries, buses, trains, and gondolas.

Keith Plocek writes about cities around the world where spectacular views are accessible and available on transit. "Many tourists ride the free Staten Island Ferry just to see the skyline and the Statue of Liberty, but New York isn’t the only place where public transportation provides outstanding vistas."
In London, he suggests hopping aboard the Route 11 bus, which travels by a number of sites, including St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Millennium Bridge, Trafalgar Square, and Westminster Abbey.
For most Americans, the cable cars of Medellín, Colombia, are a less familiar mode of transportation, but they are a cheap, and breathtaking, way to travel in the city. "A one-way fare costs tourists and locals alike 2,255 Colombian pesos (68 cents). You haven’t really experienced this city until you’ve queued up with locals and dangled over red-brick buildings while the morning sun pours into the valley below," says Plocek.
He also suggests traveling on ferries in Hong Kong and Sydney; the Venice water buses; trains in Lisbon, Los Angeles, and Paris; and an outdoor elevator in Salvador, Brazil.
FULL STORY: 9 Cities Where Public Transit Offers Eye-Popping Views

New Florida Law Curbs HOA Power
The legislation seeks to cut down on ‘absurd’ citations for low-level violations.

New Tennessee Law Allows No-Cost Incentives for Affordable Housing
Local governments in the Volunteer State can now offer developers incentives like increased density, lower parking requirements, and priority permitting for affordable housing projects.

Planners’ Complicity in Excessive Traffic Deaths
Professor Wes Marshall’s provocatively-titled new book, "Killed by a Traffic Engineer," has stimulated fierce debates. Are his criticisms justified? Let’s examine the degree that traffic engineers contribute to avoidable traffic deaths.

Study: Housing Crisis is About Affordability, not Supply
New research shows that there is no overall shortage of housing units, but all U.S. metropolitan areas face a severe lack of affordable units for low-income renters.

Are Race-Based Lawsuits Affecting Community Lenders?
Shelterforce spoke with community lending leaders and experts about the current mood across the sector. What, if anything, are organizations doing to avoid becoming the next target of conservative activists?

New Park Promotes Community and Connectivity in Lewisville, Texas
The city of Lewisville just celebrated the opening of Glory Park/Parque la Gloria, helping to improve park access and the quality of life for residents.
City of Madera
City of Santa Clarita
Borough of Carlisle
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Colorado Energy Office
Pima County Community College District
City of Piedmont, CA
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