The realities of social distancing are allowing for innovations and experimentations with real opportunities for long-term benefit in cities, according to an article by Allison Arieff.

Staying at home to stem the spread of the coronavirus has offered a rare experiment, according to an article by Allison Arieff: "We can see our cities for the first time without the choking traffic, dirty air and honking horns that have so often made them intolerable."
Arieff is encouraged by the adaptability of San Francisco during this time of crisis—residents have turned the city into a pedestrian's paradise, the streets are quieter, and the skies are bluer. Arieff also acknowledges that Covid-19 is also "laying bare the stark reality of income inequality," but some of the innovations and "MacGyvering" that have taken root in response to the crisis have the potential to create a new normal after the crisis has abated, according to Arieff.
One of the key ways that potential is being realized and showcased during the crisis is on streets: "Urban planners have long argued that more streets should close to make more livable spaces, but governments have always resisted, calling it impractical or impossible. They’ve just proved it can happen — and they should keep it going after the crisis."
The mere existence of this experiment in the public realm, and several other, smaller interventions, like deactivated pedestrian "beg buttons," offer some hope that cities will eventually act to prevent the worst outcomes of climate change. Time will tell whether these changes can last, according to Arieff, and for the many hopeful developments listed in this story, there are also concerning developments regarding privacy and discrimination.
FULL STORY: The Magic of Empty Streets

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

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

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service