High platform fees for food delivery apps have put struggling restaurants between a rock and a hard place.

With many restaurants across the country closing their dining rooms under stay-at-home orders to contain the spread of COVID-19, delivery has been one remaining lifeline for struggling food businesses. But with apps like DoorDash charging huge service fees, restaurants struggle to make a profit in an industry that already operates on razor-thin margins. Some cities have started putting a cap on delivery app fees, which usually start at around 30%. Local ordinances passed in Cleveland, Chicago, Los Angeles, and a handful of other cities have limited the fees to 15-20%. Prior to New York City Council reining in delivery apps in May, restaurants could even be charged for phone calls that didn't result in an order.
The delivery fees are just one part of a disruptive new industry that cities are still trying to regulate. New York City Council Member Mark Gjonaj, who advocates for a permanent fee cap, also wants to see greater transparency and improved worker protections for delivery drivers. The patchwork of emergency regulations passed this year reveal the "tension between the delivery apps and the restaurants that benefit from their services," Camille Squires points out. "The fight to regulate Big Tech delivery apps will continue well beyond the pandemic."
FULL STORY: US cities rein in food delivery apps on behalf of embattled restaurants

New York Governor Advances Housing Plan Amid Stiff Suburban Opposition
Governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious proposal to create more housing has once again run into a brick wall of opposition in New York’s enormous suburbs, especially on Long Island. This year, however, the wall may have some cracks.

Rethinking the Role of Parking in the American City
In cities big and small, the tide is turning against sprawling parking lots, car-centric development, and minimum parking mandates.

Friday Eye Candy: 20 AI-Generated Cityscapes
AI-generated images are creating new landscapes and cityscapes, capable of inspiring awe or fear.

Study: Autonomous Cars Won’t Solve the Parking Problem
In hyper-dense cities where incentives to reduce car use and eliminate parking are already high, mass adoption of AVs won’t significantly reduce parking demand.

Proposed Pool Would Make an Olympic-Sized Play Area in the San Francisco Bay
The San Francisco Bay is usually an undesirable place to swim, except for a hearty few. A development proposal seeking assistance at the state level would add a pool to the Bay’s waters to make the idea of going for a swim more appealing.

Chicagoland Transit Agencies Call for State Funding as Budget Shortfall Looms
Illinois transit agencies want to see changes to a law requiring them to collect half of their revenue from transit fares, arguing that low ridership and staffing shortages will lead to a massive budget gap without intervention.
Princeton Planning
City of College Park
Houston-Galveston Area Council
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
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.