Social distancing is the word controlling most U.S. urban dwellers' thoughts and actions right now, but cities around the world have additional lessons in pandemic response to share.

Schuyler Null and Hillary Smith identify trends within the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing four themes, with a lot of specific examples included in the source article.
One of the trends listed in the article, restricting access, will come as absolutely zero surprise, but the others probably seem counterintuitive to the stories being told about the urban experience of the pandemic in the United States, namely cities fortifying public transit, providing alternatives to public transit, and providing "radical data transparency."
As an example of offering alternatives to transit, for example, Bogotá expanded its bike network once already, with plans for more.
FULL STORY: COVID-19 Could Affect Cities for Years. Here Are 4 Ways They’re Coping Now.

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

San Francisco’s Muni Ridership Grew in 2024
The system saw its highest ridership since before the Covid-19 pandemic, but faces a severe budget shortage in the coming year.

Colorado Lawmakers Move to Protect BRT Funding
In the face of potential federal funding cuts, CDOT leaders reasserted their commitment to planned bus rapid transit projects.

Safe Streets Funding in Jeopardy
The Trump administration is specifically targeting bike infrastructure and other road safety projects in its funding cuts.
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