Photo by Michael Vadon on Flickr.

A program for making housing more affordable is among Bernie Sanders’ proudest achievements; 16 different graphics point to one conclusion: Toyko is mind-blowingly big; A Texas town got creative with a shut-down Walmart. Check out what’s happening around the world in transportation, land use, and other related areas!

Bernie’s housing model: When he was the mayor of Burlington, Bernie Sanders set up the land trust the city still uses today. The government owns the land but the residents own the house, which supporters say lets people build wealth faster than renting. (Slate)

Tokyo is gigantic: The greater Tokyo area dwarfs other big cities from New York and Los Angeles to Sydney and London. Tokyo isn’t that much smaller than all of Great Britain, and its subway maps might make your head spin. (Buzzfeed)

Walmart transformed: After a local Walmart shut down, a Texas town turned the building into a farmers market, indoor winter shopping center, and the largest single floor library in the country. (Daily Kos)

A fight for BRT in Indianapolis…: In Indianapolis, proponents of a BRT project say the 35-mile line will garner 11,000 daily rides and provide new connections to jobs. Opponents are worried about lost parking space and more congestion on side streets. (Indianapolis Star)

…and a goodbye to BRT in Dehli: Dehli is doing away with its BRT line because residents blame it for congestion on the road it runs along. Officials say BRT was a good idea that they implemented poorly, and that they are planning to bring it back with a new design. (India Today)

Mimicking Minneapolis: Minneapolis freezes over in winter, but it’s still a top spot for cycling. Former Mayor RT Rybak told leaders in (relatively) nearby Des Moines that “expressway trails” that connect bike lanes, as well as inexpensive tools like paint and flex-posts, are keys to building a bike-friendly city. (Des Moines Register)

Angry but effective: Some call Lansing, Michigan mayor Virg Bernaro the “angriest mayor in America.” But he’s very popular, and he has succeeded at both attracting new development and improving parks and trails. (City Pulse)

Quote of the Week:

“We don’t force [developers] to build the right number of bedrooms for people! We just force them to build the right number of bedrooms for cars” - Nelson\Nygaard’s Jeff Tumlin speaking with Mother Jones on how self driving cars will affect parking.

We’re signing off for the day. Stay warm and safe, and please please post snow pictures in our Flickr pool or email them to snow@ggwash.org!