Tel Aviv Foundation’s CEO says city leaders need to listen and be patient to learn from the current crisis. Also, large events, festivals, tourists, and crowds won’t be back for some time, but that could be a good thing

The Tel Aviv Foundation, a non-profit organization under the umbrella of Tel Aviv’s municipality, is promoting Tel Aviv technology and forming partnerships with other cities around the world.
As a popular destination for international tourism, Tel Aviv, as many other Mediterranean cities, is facing a significant challenge to its economy.
Nowadays, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundation has put all its efforts into helping the city, the mayor, and the community to minimize the effects of the current crisis.
Samples from an interview with Dr. Hila Oren, CEO of the Tel Aviv Foundation, follow. More is available at the source article.
- "We need not have meetings, we can have a short 30 minute meeting on zoom. We don’t need two hours meetings around a table. We need not go so much out of our houses and build more roads. Look, the roads are clean now. Not everything is good, but some of it has improved."
- "If we go back to 100% the way we were before, then we miss the whole lesson that we need to learn from this. The COVID-19 came to us to give us a lesson. And we have to listen to it. And I’m saying that now, being quiet, we can listen."
- "I’m not so sure if next year we will build as many schools, or as many kindergartens, or as many community centers as we built before, maybe we will understand better, and we can use them in a multifunctional system. And, things that are much more needed are open public spaces. I think those will be in demand and we must have more."
FULL STORY: This crisis will reshape the way we understand city living

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

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.

In More Metros Than You’d Think, Suburbs are Now More Expensive Than the City
If you're moving to the burbs to save on square footage, data shows you should think again.

The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and "harrowing" close calls are a growing reality.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)