The city seeks to incubate creative ideas in the public interest.

The city of Somerville has launched an Urban Lab Initiative—a call for pilot proposals from the private and academic sectors to address community goals like sustainability, economic development, and affordable housing. Chosen programs or technologies would receive technical support and use of city properties as testing grounds.
The competition builds on a previous city program, the Somerville GreenTech Initiative, which solicited proposals focused on environmental sustainability. "The Urban Lab broadens the pilot areas to include such issues as housing, social equity, economic development, sustainability, arts, education, government innovation, smart city infrastructure, and public health," The Boston Globe reports. John Laidler provides more details.
FULL STORY: Somerville seeks innovators for Urban Lab Initiative

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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