A summer program will turn Monument Circle into a public park and event space, and plans are in development to make a segment of Georgia Street safer and more walkable.

A portion of downtown Indianapolis will go ‘mostly car-free’ by 2025, according to an article by James Briggs in Axios Indianapolis. “The Monument Circle and Georgia Street projects stem from an effort the city launched last year — dubbed the Downtown Resiliency Strategy — to solicit feedback on best uses for downtown.”
In July, part of Monument Circle will be transformed into park space “with plans for a bar, beer garden, listening booth and public restrooms.” The program is slated to run through October and will inform decisions about the future of the space.
Additionally, “The Capital Improvement Board is spending $750,000 on the temporary green space, which will have 24-hour policing, and the city tentatively plans to bring it back next year at an earlier date.”
The Georgia Street project would make walkability improvements and add seating landscaping, and opportunities for local businesses to take better advantage of the space. “Georgia Street would go car-free between Capitol Avenue and Illinois Street while remaining drivable between Illinois and Pennsylvania streets — with design features intended to discourage traffic.”
FULL STORY: Monument Circle, Georgia Street going (partially) car-free

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.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.

Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.

Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
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