Planetizen Newswire
Keep up with essential planning news and commentary, delivered to your inbox every Monday and Thursday.
China
China's Belt and Road Initiative, a massive program to develop infrastructure in dozens of countries worldwide, may be the largest construction project in history. Its benefits to host countries—and to China itself—remain far from certain.
The Architect's Newspaper
Vehicle pollution is making cities around the world unlivable. Some cities have taken steps to curb auto use and emissions, with varying levels of success.
The New York Times
Examining congestion data from 94 Chinese cities before and after Alibaba's Singles' Day, this study found evidence for a modest drop in traffic following the Cyber Monday-like event.
IDEAS
Fears of a US trade war and a slowing economy have translated into fewer subsidies for solar and wind energy in China.
Yale Environment 360
New rail lines are operational in seven cities in China.
International Railway Journal
It was long thought that a finite supply of lithium, a key element needed for electric vehicle batteries, would constrain the production of zero-emission vehicles, but the opposite happened: a slow down in EV demand has caused lithium prices to drop.
Oil Price
Capital investments could get more expensive, if Congress forces transit systems to buy American.
Eno Center for Transportation
A single fare card grants access to public transit rides in 260 Chinese cities.
ECNS
Depending on the type of bicycle for sale, the price may jump 25 percent due to new tariffs paid by importers and consumers (not China as the president would have you think) if it arrives in the United States after June 1.
Bicycle Retailer and Industry News
Last month, the Paris-based International Energy Agency released its annual "Global Energy & CO2 Status Report." Energy consumption grew 2.3 percent with fossil fuels accounting for 70 percent on the increase. CO2 emissions jumped 1.7 percent.
The Washington Post
A global shift in the market has upended the recycling industry. The story of recycling's past provides direction for the future.
The Nib
The U.S. is an expensive place to build transit resources. A move from Congress to ban Chinese rail cars over espionage fears may exacerbate that problem.
Governing
More than 900 Chinese cities are continuing to plan for growth even as their populations shrink.
South China Morning Post
Trouble in the global market means trouble at home when it comes to recycling. Municipalities are having trouble paying the extra cost for recycling programs as China stops accepting U.S. waste.
The New York Times
As the world becomes more encased in concrete, the detrimental effects of its widespread use are increasing in scale and severity.
The Guardian
Auto analyst John Voelcker discusses the electric vehicle market in the U.S. on NPR. Ominous clouds belie the excellent sales figures for last year, and policies pushed by Trump only ensure that motor vehicles will continue to gulp more gasoline.
NPR
Failed investments and buildings with no tenants sit on the outskirts of Beijing and Shanghai.
CityLab
China's decision to halt imports of most recyclables from the United States has caused turmoil. With few markets for their recyclables, Philadelphia is sending half of them to a waste-to-energy incinerator in Chester not designed to burn them.
The Guardian
With the Trump administration's abdication of its predecessor's position on fighting climate change, a void has been left in global climate change leadership. One expert believes that China may have already filled the leadership role.
PBS NewsHour
U.S. sales of plug-in electric vehicles, including those with internal combustion engines, increased by 81 percent in 2018 over 2017. But if you remove the best-selling Tesla Model 3 from the mix, the increase drops to 11 percent.
Greentech Media
