A writer laments the advances made by data collection in cities—once a location where people could maintain or seek anonymity.

“Cities are our paradises of anonymity, a place for both self-erasure and self-reinvention. But soon, cities may fall first in the disappearance, or at least a radical remaking, of privacy,” writes Quentin Hardy to introduce an editorial about the dangers of “Big Data.”
The article goes on to examine several examples of occasions when public data collection crosses into the territory of personal information collection, including technology that scans license plates on the way in an out of parking lots, another that tracks the movement of individuals through shopping malls, and the information that has been gleaned from bike rentals in London (or, for that matter, New York City).
“What we have at this moment is an exceptional awareness of where we are going: It is a little bit as if, circa 1880, we’d been able to say ‘soon we’ll banish night, because our cities will have electric light.’ The only real loss would not be thinking through the implications.”
FULL STORY: How Urban Anonymity Disappears When All Data Is Tracked

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

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

Why Should We Subsidize Public Transportation?
Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.

Understanding Road Diets
An explainer from Momentum highlights the advantages of reducing vehicle lanes in favor of more bike, transit, and pedestrian infrastructure.

New California Law Regulates Warehouse Pollution
A new law tightens building and emissions regulations for large distribution warehouses to mitigate air pollution and traffic in surrounding communities.

Phoenix Announces Opening Date for Light Rail Extension
The South Central extension will connect South Phoenix to downtown and other major hubs starting on June 7.
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.
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