Public Health

Fixing the Harms of the Eviction System
Emily Benfer talks about what needs to change in our housing and eviction systems—not just now, but once the pandemic is past, the connections between health and housing, and how she came to be a go-to voice on the eviction crisis.

Mask Order Standoff in Texas: Attorney General vs. Austin and Travis County
It's pandemic déjà vu in the Lone Star State, with local governments wanting to protect their constituents from an increase in viral transmission, a power preempted by Gov. Abbott's executive order. Attorney General Ken Paxton lost the first round.

New Zoning Incentives for Grocery Store Developments Proposed in New York City
Transit accessibility incentives are also included in a package of zoning reforms proposed this week that would provide incentives for grocery store developments in a wider swath of New York City.

A Compact, Connected, Clean, and Inclusive Recovery for Mexico
As the Mexican government charts the country’s recovery from COVID-19, a newly published paper charts national solutions to urban transportation and housing challenges that will put Mexico’s cities on a path to prosperity and resilience.

Tiger Woods Crash: Blame the Road, Not the Driver, Say Authorities
"Purely an accident" is how the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department characterized the one-person, single-vehicle rollover crash that severely injured golfing celebrity Tiger Woods on Feb. 23 while driving on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

New Healthy Regions Planning Exchange Targets Health Inequities
A new Regional Plan Association initiative is assessing potential solutions to historic inequities in planning policy.

Noise Pollution Harms the Heart, Too
New research shows that excessive noise levels have significant negative impacts on heart health.

Haves and Have Nots: Planning and the Deep Divides of the Pandemic
The latest in a series of compendia gathering news and analysis about the effects of the COVID-19 on the built and natural environments—now and long into the future.

How Cities Are Using Wastewater to Test for COVID-19
Some scientists and city officials are moving ahead with a different way to track the virus’s spread: wastewater testing.

Gyms Getting Replaced by At-Home Workout Solutions
With most gyms closed to the pandemic and its associated restrictions, more and more people are getting exercise equipment installed in their own homes to maintain their fitness goals and routines.

CDC's New Face Mask Requirement on Transit Takes Effect Tuesday
Travelers will be required to properly wear a face mask when riding all forms of public transportation, e.g., ride-share, bus, train, ferry, or plane. The rule applies to transportation hubs and boarding platforms. Not just any face-covering will do.

Riding in Cars with COVID-19
Research suggests maximizing airflow during shared car rides vastly reduces the risk of transmission.

Serpentine Maze: Pop-Up Parks in the Pandemic
If the combined effects of winter's cold and the pandemic has you bummed, check out this community-building exercise in the frozen North.

To Carpool or Not to Carpool: That is the Question for Transit Workers in Toronto
Controversy erupts in Toronto after the TTC informed transit employees that it isn't safe to carpool to work…driving people around on transit.

EVs Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, but They're Not Pollution-Free
To reduce harmful particulate matter emissions, we need fewer cars on the road—electric or otherwise, according to the findings of a recent report.

L.A. Metro Plans for an Equitable Recovery
The pandemic has forced difficult confrontations with inequities that existed long before the novel coronavirus. L.A. Metro planners are responding by charting a path toward a transportation system that reverses and improves those previous realities.

Why Playgrounds Need to Stay Open
California has reversed its decision to close playgrounds as part of the state's stay-at-home order after some legislators and parents complained and argued that children need outdoor play for their health and well-being.

Nine Months Later: How the Pandemic Is Changing Communities
Planetizen shares the latest in a series of compendia tackling the effects of the pandemic, now and in the future, for cities and communities.

Integrating Climate Protection, Public Health, and Equity Into Planning
The beta version of a comprehensive new evidence-based platform called Streetsmart helps policy makers, planners, and advocates make the case for healthy, inclusive, and sustainable transportation investments.

Evictions Caused 433,700 Excess Covid Infections, 10,700 Deaths, Study Says
A new study connects evictions to the spread of the coronavirus. Evictions continued in huge numbers during the pandemic despite a patchwork of eviction protections at multiple layers of government.
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