The social and economic upheaval of the last two years accelerated a shift in thinking about how we use public space and organize the urban realm.

After decades of glacial progress on shifting public space away from a focus on cars, the disruption brought on by COVID-19 led to a radical rethinking of how we use roads and sidewalks. As Adam Rogers writes,
The virus—and specifically the understanding that as an aerosol it spread more easily in poorly ventilated spaces—changed something fundamental about urban life. The expansion of restaurants to curbside spaces and the closure of city streets to automobiles began in 2020, but in 2021 those alterations felt like a new phase in a decades-old cold war over the look and feel of the modern city.
Although the pandemic also halted progress that cities were making on increasing density and boosting public transit use, Rogers writes, the focus on social distancing and access to the outdoors brought a new urgency to reinventing the right-of-way for more people-oriented uses and encouraging walkable, bikeable neighborhoods. But this hasn't come without its own challenges: as cities scramble to create new regulatory frameworks for pandemic-era projects, the process often becomes onerous and expensive for small businesses and organizations. Meanwhile, disability advocates caution that some parklets impede access for wheelchairs, and public space proponents criticize dining setups for using public right-of-way for private businesses.
Nevertheless, Rogers concludes optimistically, "this new image of the city offers a sense of possibility—of hope, even—in the fight against climate change and inequality."
FULL STORY: The Pandemic Might Have Redesigned Cities Forever

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

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

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Cleveland to Boost Bike Safety With New Bike Lanes, School Programs
The program, using curriculum created by Cleveland Bikes, is part of a broader effort to improve safety along school routes.

Florida Home Insurers Disproportionately Dropping Low-Income Households
Non-renewal rates are highest in inland counties, not the coastal areas most immediately vulnerable to storms.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.
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City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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