The city ranks low for transit access to jobs, limiting opportunities for local workers and businesses.
Limited transit operating schedules in Memphis, Tennessee are hampering the city’s economic development, writes Zaneta Lowe in a piece for WREG. Local business owners say the limited bus service offered by the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) means their employees have to work fewer hours, for example.
As Lowe notes, “50 percent of MATA’s riders use it to get to work, according to a report from a consulting firm the city hired to audit MATA’s operations.” Consequently, Memphis ranked next to last among peer cities in a 2021 analysis of job access.
Beverly Robertson, former President and CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber, says boosting local businesses calls for a transit operating model that involves government, community, and business leaders to ensure it offers reliable, effective service.
FULL STORY: MATA’S Missteps: Economic impact of transit troubles
DC Improving Transit Equity
The Transit Equity Dashboard reveals a more marked improvement in transit access in the District of Columbia than in other metro areas.
Opinion: Free Transit Has Proven Itself
Eliminating transit fares can have benefits that ripple across a local economy and improve livelihoods.
Less Than Half of Head Start Centers Near Transit
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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.
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Understanding Road Diets
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New California Law Regulates Warehouse Pollution
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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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Smith Gee Studio
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