One journalist argues that missing ingredient for a flourishing bike culture isn't rental bikes; it's safe places to ride.

Expectations were high for Pasadena's entry into LA Metro bikeshare—the system's first expansion out of the urban core of Downtown Los Angeles. So when Pasadena exited the program just a year later, citing low ridership and high costs, it came as a surprise to many.
But transportation writer Steve Scauzillo suggests that the root cause of the program's failure was simple all along: Bikeshare addressed the wrong problem. Access to bikes wasn't the factor keeping Pasadenans in their cars, he argues. Instead, the barrier to bike ridership was a lack of safe infrastructure to ride on.
As Pasadena turns to private services to try the bikeshare experiment anew, Scauzillo urges the city to first consider the experience of riding any company's bicycle on its suburban streets.
FULL STORY: Lessons from a failed bike-share program in Pasadena

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.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Pedestrian Deaths Drop, Remain Twice as High as in 2009
Fatalities declined by 4 percent in 2024, but the U.S. is still nowhere close to ‘Vision Zero.’

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents
The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing
Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.
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