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.

"At a time when most of humanity lives in cities, where do cars belong — especially the old, polluting ones that make city air foul for people to breathe?" ask Somini Sengupta and Nadja Popovich. They examine the efforts in a number of cities to limit and regulate driving as well as what has motivated particular strategies and the outcomes of policy measures.
London was an early adopter of congestion pricing, and the city added additional charges this year in an Ultra Low Emission Zone, which it plans to expand in 2021. "By October 2019, nitrogen dioxide levels in the air had declined by 36 percent compared to February 2017, according to an assessment by the city," note Sengupta and Popovich.
Beijing and New Delhi are two cities that have continued to struggle with poor air quality. Beijing instituted a license plate lottery, among other strategies, and pollution has decreased. "But, the city’s air quality still fails to meet national standards for fine particulate pollution and far exceeds levels the World Health Organization deems safe to breathe," say Sengupta and Popovich.
In New Delhi, measures to address pollution have been hindered by the large increase in the number of motorcycles, cars, and trucks that are belching out emissions, and air quality remains at hazardous levels.
Madrid has faced different roadblocks—namely, political maneuvering playing out around a ban on cars in the city center. Even with measured improvements in air quality, conservatives sought, unsuccessfully, to lift the ban. "The Spanish capital is in the throes of a heated debate about what kind of a city it wants to be, and cars are at the heart of it," write Sengupta and Popovich.
FULL STORY: Cities Worldwide Are Reimagining Their Relationship With Cars

Houston Apartments To Be Demolished for Freeway Widening
Despite a federal hold on the controversial freeway widening project, the Texas Department of Transportation is pushing ahead with the demolition of an apartment complex in downtown Houston.

San Francisco Just Ended Single-Family Zoning
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to Tuesday to eliminate single-family zoning, but pro-development advocates say additional changes are needed to unleash a wave of construction.

Land Banking to Prevent Transit-Oriented Displacement in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will implement a new land banking program to mitigate gentrification and displacement around future transit lines.

State Reports Seeks To Guide Warehouse Development in New Jersey
With demand for sprawling e-commerce warehouses growing, New Jersey’s State Planning Commission has released a series of documents outlining best practices for cities examining warehouse proposals.

Manhattan Congestion Pricing Could Start in 2023
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has resubmitted its environmental impact assessment to federal officials, who sent the agency over 400 additional questions earlier this year.

Whitefish ADU Ordinance Could Ease Housing Crunch
Recently approved revisions to the city’s accessory dwelling unit regulations prioritize long-term rentals to increase housing affordability for local renters.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
City of Rolling Hills Estates
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
City of Apache Junction
City of Helena
Gallatin County, Montana
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