The finalists from the WRI Ross Prize for Cities have been announced.
Anne Maassen and Madeleine Galvin collect five examples from around the world to showcase "what urban transformation really looks like."
"Experts point to the need for urban transformation, yet few people have a concrete sense of how to trigger and sustain such rapid change," according to Maassen and Galvin.
That's where the WRI Ross Prize for Cities comes in. The first-ever prize competition sought real world examples of urban transformation. Nearly 200 applicants submitted nominees for the $250,000 prize, and five finalists were recently announced.
- Inclusive transport on Medellin's Metrocable.
- The School Area Road Safety Assessment and Improvement (SARSAI) in Tanzania and now a dozen countries.
- A co-created public space in Durban South Africa, the work of Asiye eTafuleni (AeT).
- A waste-picker cooperative in Pune, India
- Integrating nature and public transit on the Porsuk River in Eskisehir, Turkey.
Read the full story: 5 Cities Show What Urban Transformation Really Looks Like
Only one US city makes the Happy City Index top 50
The list is topped by Copenhagen, Helsinki, and Geneva.
The Nation’s Best Small Cities Ranked by Livability, Affordability
A new list looks at a range of factors from housing costs to entertainment to commute times to rank the most attractive small cities in the U.S.
The Superstar Metro Argument... And Why It Fails
One argument against solving the housing shortage in large, expensive cities is that growth in those cities will drain people and wealth from declining areas. Data does not agree.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Bay area voters pass ‘crucial lifeline’ for transit
Proposition RTM, which will fund Bay Area transit, has approval from 61% of voters as of 9:45 p.m. on Nov. 3.
Voters across the country reject data centers
Dozens of communities voted on measures to restrict the buildout of data centers.
US buildings threatened, destroyed by fires set to triple by 2060
Researchers found a high fire risk for socioeconomically vulnerable neighborhoods in the American West.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority