More and more European cities are following the lead of cities like Paris and installing bike sharing systems. This article from Der Spiegel wonders if they'll last.
Though many cities have been successful at starting up these ventures, their long-term viability depends on how the systems are run and funded.
"[N]ot all cities have had the same phenomenally positive experience seen in Paris. In Helsinki, the Finnish capital, officials have announced they will shelve the city's free bike program for the time being next summer. The city had hoped to recoup its expenses through advertising, but those goals proved to be overly ambitious.
At the end of the day, the financial burden could be reduced if all the bike-rental projects in Europe adopted the same model. In France, there has been talk about standardizing the bike rental system, at least regionally."
FULL STORY: European Cities Get the Bike Bug
Friday Eye Candy: Images of the World's Cities Through History
Tour the history of the world's most famous cities.
The World's Most Bike-Friendly Cities
AskMen.com has released a list of the world's top ten bike-friendly cities. Portland, Oregon is the one U.S. city to make the list.
Paris Bike Program's Thousands of Casualties
Paris and JCDecaux promise to forge on with the popular bike program, despite having lost thousands of bikes to recklessness and vandalism.
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.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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