From Buenos Aires, to Mexico City, to Bogota, cities across Latin America are embracing the bicycle. Across Central and South America, bike lane miles and the numbers of bicycles on the streets are on the rise.
Following what appears to be a global trend of increasing numbers of cities courting bike riders, Latin America's municipalities are beefing up their support of pedalists. The Wall Street Journal's Shane Romig reports, "[a]cross Latin America, a region known for its aggressive drivers, growing numbers of commuters are doing the unthinkable: Ditching their cars for bicycles."
For example, the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires, home of excessively aggressive drivers, is promoting it's "Mejor en Bici" program, or "Better on Bike." "Buenos Aires has built 48 miles of bike lanes, from virtually zero in 2009, when the program began. The city plans to have 81 miles of lanes by the end of 2013. Already, 2% of daily commuters are getting to their jobs on bikes, an estimated 36,000 people, say city officials." The capital hopes to copy the successes of bicycle programs in cities such as Bogota and Santiago de Chile.
Yet, not all are happy about the transformation in transportation policy. Romig reports on one harsh radio commenter urging motorists to "squash" those on bikes by running them over, saying, "[t]hese people think they are French or European. Well, let me tell you: You're not French, you're Mexicans...That's why I ask you drivers when you see one of these pests, run them over, don't give them a chance, squash them. Maybe that way they will understand."
FULL STORY: Latin America Gears Up as Bike Hub

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean
Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?

Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US
A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont