Report: Calif. HSR planning may lead to environmental harm

BERKELEY, Calif. — A recent University of California, Berkeley and University of California, Los Angeles report says that while the state’s planned high-speed rail project may bolster the Central Valley region’s economy, lack of sufficient planning may lead to environmental harm, according to the Daily Californian.

The report points out the possibility of losing substantial tracts of farmland to large-scale single family home construction that may accompany economic growth. However, if cities plan early, they can build more densely, which will reduce both the amounts of pollution and farmland destroyed, according to the report. For the full story, click here.