Track the response of local transportation strategies responding to the massive shift in travel demand as a result of the pandemic.
The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) and the Bloomberg Philanthropies have announced a new online platform for transportation-focused strategies in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
According to a press release from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Transportation Response Center “[gives] mayors, city officials and other practitioners real-time information on the transportation strategies cities are deploying to adapt to the rapidly evolving international health emergency.”
“The Transportation Response Center is a clearing house for actionable, adaptable practices already implemented in many cities, such as: Seattle and Austin converting parking spaces into restaurant food pick-up zones; New York, Seattle, Detroit and other cities allowing rear-door bus boarding or waiving transit fares; and cities like Philadelphia and Minneapolis opening former vehicular traffic roads exclusively for pedestrians and bike riders in order to allow citizens to exercise outside while maintaining healthy social distancing.”
The online platform is the second such partnership for online collaboration enabled by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Previously, Bloomberg Philanthropies worked with the National League of Cities to create the Local Action Tracker.
Planetizen has launched a new Coronavirus Tools tag to track efforts to collect resources and information online to help make sense of the wave of news and policies emerging in response to the Coronavirus.
FULL STORY: Local Coronavirus Action Tracker
Hotels Could Play a Critical Role in Containing Coronavirus in Crowded Cities
Some cities are leasing entire hotels to provide rooms for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 or been exposed to infected people, to allow for safe and supportive isolation away from family or household members who risk being infected.
Another State (Ohio) Gets It Right
Washington and California have been praised for early efforts to mitigate community spread of the novel coronavirus, resulting in relatively low rates of infection, hospitalization, and ultimately, death. Add Ohio to the bunch.
Even Parks Are Going Online During the Pandemic
Parks departments in New York City and Pittsburgh are offering videos and livestreams to cooped-up residents.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
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.
Paris Bike Boom Leads to Steep Drop in Air Pollution
The French city’s air quality has improved dramatically in the past 20 years, coinciding with a growth in cycling.
Why Housing Costs More to Build in California Than in Texas
Hard costs like labor and materials combined with ‘soft’ costs such as permitting make building in the San Francisco Bay Area almost three times as costly as in Texas cities.
San Diego County Sees a Rise in Urban Coyotes
San Diego County experiences a rise in urban coyotes, as sightings become prevalent throughout its urban neighbourhoods and surrounding areas.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
City of Santa Clarita
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service