A contest sponsored by the Vancouver Public Space Network asks the public to find Vancouver's heart, a civic square that best defines the city. Sean Ruthen ponders the city's relationships to the each its primary squares now.
"As I was mentally surveying the existing civic squares in our city while at the Library for the presentation, it occurred to me that Vancouver has a long history of creating publicly recognized civic realms, and subsequently abandoning them. How else to explain the cases of the plaza in front of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, or Centennial Square just up the street, as well as the aforementioned Library Square. Cornelia Oberlander, while understandably adamant about her refurbished Robson Square - that it will return the civic heart to the CBD - likewise voiced some concern about how those responsible at City Hall have become over the years increasingly negligent of their civic responsibility to support some form of civic pride in the city's great outdoors."
FULL STORY: The search for Vancouver’s real heart

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.
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