By looking closely at the key factors that helped London's congestion charge succeed, other cities can decipher whether a similar scheme would work in their jurisdictions.
"One of the most notable legacies of the just defeated mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, is London's traffic congestion charge. The first such scheme to be implemented by a major European city, it was introduced in 2003 and led to a 30 per cent drop in congestion levels practically overnight. Not surprisingly, it quickly gained broad popular support.
Canada's major cities should take six lessons from both the surprising political success of this scheme at the outset and the degree to which this success has faded over time.
One, the original congestion charge introduced in February 2003 penalized only a small proportion of people travelling into London, since more than 90 per cent already relied on public transit. The charge targeted congestion arising from commuters travelling into and out of the downtown core. Cars were charged £5 per day for travelling into a small central London zone that covered little more than the financial and theatre districts. Residents of the zone got a 90 per cent discount and taxis were exempt."
FULL STORY: Lessons for big cities from London's congestion charge

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.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents
The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing
Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive
Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie