USA Today debunks the false claim that the United Nations’ call for enabling 15-minute cities is a coded plan to institute ‘climate change lockdowns.’

Writing in USA Today, Isabella Fertel fact-checks the conspiracy-minded claim that the concept of the 15-minute city is a global plot to create “climate change lockdowns.”
To be clear, the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development makes zero mentions of lockdowns or keeping people in their own neighborhoods. Rather, the 15-minute city is shorthand for the goal of making transit, jobs, healthcare, parks, and all the other amenities we come to expect from city life accessible to all residents within a 15-minute walk or bike ride.
Carlos Moreno, who coined the concept, says “The core of the ‘15-minute city’ is an open city, a human city, an interconnected city.” Moreno adds, “Of course, all citizens are free to go where they want. There are no constraints.” Dan Luscher, founder of the 15-Minute City Project, says the concept is about promoting, not limiting, mobility.
FULL STORY: Fact check: False claim ‘15-minute cities’ are actually ‘climate lockdowns’

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.

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.

Panel: Minneapolis Zoning Updates Should Reflect Mixed-Use Future
A discussion of post-pandemic changes in work and commuting concluded that the city’s overhaul of its zoning code should be less restrictive with land uses.
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
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.