The coronavirus has upended urban life, but it also provides an opportunity to look to new and innovative redesign of cities in the future.

"There is a huge, looming, unanswerable question that overshadows our cities, like an elephant squatting in the central square. Will a Covid-19 vaccine or herd immunity return us to 'normal', or will we need to redesign our cities to accommodate a world in which close proximity to other people can kill you?" ask Chris Michael, Lydia McMullan, and Frank Hulley-Jones.
They consider proposals from four architecture firms about how cities might be redesigned in a post-coronavirus world. The ideas include bike superhighways, garden streets, digitally enabled high streets, and multipurpose neighborhoods. Each strategy has its pros and cons, and some ideas are not necessarily new ones.
For example, bike superhighways and garden streets could bring more green and outdoor space to communities, but their feasibility varies and implementation could be challenging. Smart cities and multipurpose neighborhoods offer more efficient use of urban space, but questions remain about issues such as equity, privacy, and the ability to create diverse urban landscapes, say Michael, McMullan, and Hulley-Jones.
FULL STORY: From garden streets to bike highways: four ideas for post-Covid cities – visualised

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.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the city will develop a plan to close 500 streets to car traffic and add new bike and pedestrian infrastructure after a referendum on the proposal passed with 66 percent of the vote.

Making Mobility More Inclusive
A new study highlights the challenges people with disabilities continue to face in navigating urban spaces.

Texas Bills Could Push More People Into Homelessness
A proposal to speed up the eviction process and a bill that would accelerate enforcement of an existing camping ban could make the state’s homelessness crisis worse, advocates say.
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