North America
Findings from graduating doctoral students undertaking urban-related research.
Penn IUR Urban Link
Rick Cole identifies the Four Horsemen of the 'Fiscal' Apocalypse: Cratering Revenue, Neglected Infrastructure, Pension Debt, and Community Need, as heralds ushering the reinvention of city services to meet the needs of today’s urban realities.
The Planning Report
The potential of the coronavirus to influence the way we travel and where we live is explored in this deep dive that also imagines how the world might benefit from less vehicle travel, during and after a pandemic.
Green Resilience Strategies
Feature
People are finding new ways to connect digitally across physical spaces during the coronavirus pandemic, and these temporary solutions could have a lasting impact on the way we live.
"Who do you learn from?" is a question that transportation planners, particularly in the United States, should ask themselves.
Pedestrian Observations
The effects of a global pandemic on American shores are beginning to emerge for public transit systems. The consequences of a drop in transit ridership could extend beyond the end of the pandemic.
Vice
City Observatory research shows that urban regions where residents drive less and rely more on other travel modes have more independent restaurants and more varied dining options. Bon appetit for walking, bicycling and public transit.
City Observatory
Dockless bikes offer the unexpected and help users navigate and understand the urban environment in new and different ways.
Next City
Research suggests that more and more parking won't solve the woes of struggling commercial corridors, even if it's difficult for business owners located on those corridors to believe.
Local Logic
Feature
William Riggs, assistant professor at the University of San Francisco School of Management, predicts the trends that will continue an ongoing revolution in transportation.
Walmart is planning on delivering groceries autonomously in Houston at some point in 2020.
TechCrunch
Los Angeles County's Minh Le discusses the county's priorities for moving forward with recent technological advancements in solar and energy storage.
The Planning Report
Feature
The decade wraps up with another engaging crop of highly readable and recommendable books on the subject of urban planning. There's a lot to learn, on many related subjects, among this year's top planning books.
CEC Chair David Hochschild shares the commission’s strategy for improving the current grid system and how California has been, and will continue to be, a global leader in clean energy innovation.
VerdeXchange News
Amber Richane, Project Manager for the city of Santa Monica's new City Services Building, on the city's commitment to building the world's most sustainable public building.
The Planning Report
Using treated waste as an agricultural fertilizer is controversial, but the practice has several climate-related benefits.
Yale Climate Connections
The city of L.A.’s first city forest officer, Rachel Malarich, opines on her new role in facilitating cooperation between the city’s departments to achieve a more equitable urban canopy.
VerdeXchange News
U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) offers perspective on the U.S. housing crisis, the scale and complexity of which he argues demands affirmative federal action.
The Planning Report
Architects are uniquely positioned to reduce global warming, argues the CEO of Urban Green Council—but first they need to rethink their role.
The Architectural League of New York
Los Angeles Department of Transportation General Manager Seleta Reynolds emphasizes the importance of riders' perspective on access when redesigning the transit system.
The Planning Report
