New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson had a busy week, releasing an ambitious plan to "break" the "car culture" of New York.

New York City Council Corey Johnson delivered an all-transportation "State of the City" address this week. Writing for Streetsblog NYC, David Meyer claims the speaker "hit all the right notes."
Yes, he mapped out a pie-in-the-sky plan for city control over the subways, which is unlikely to happen in the immediate future, as Streetsblog reported today. But even discussing such an idea — not to mention the eminently doable sweeteners like safer street redesigns, more plazas, better bike lanes, improved bus service and even removing part of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway — shows just what can be accomplished by a New York City leader with persistent concern for, and consistent interest in, improving the city’s transportation system.
According to Meyer, Johnson is talking about breaking the car culture, and is willing to take matters into his own hands if Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo aren't willing to take action. Speaker Johnson also called out MTA's oversight (from a board appointed by the governor). Meyer has more to say about the ways Johnson showed leadership as compared to the other political leaders controlling these issues in the city and state.
For a deeper dive into Johnson's agenda for the city's streets, Julianne Cuba writes a follow up article that claims car-free streets are just the start of Johnson's ambitious agenda, which includes "a mix of car-free streets, 50 miles of protected bike lanes per year, more slow 'shared' roadways and more dedicated bus lanes." That story also links to the complete document of Johnson's transportation plan, called "Let's Go: A Case for Municipal Control and a Comprehensive Transportation Vision for the Five Boroughs."
FULL STORY: Corey Johnson Just Exposed NYC’s Leadership Gap on Transportation

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?

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.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive
Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie