How is Kansas City to make itself sustainable? This blog offers 13 strategies, one posted a day, from experts in different fields.
"Strategy 3: Develop corridors of activity along transit routes
Until recently, transit has proven a hard sell in Greater Kansas City, which prides itself as being among America's least congested cities. But alleviating traffic congestion is not the only, nor is it necessarily the primary, rationale for investments in public transit. Effective public transit enables choice in how we travel. To create a robust regional transit system, we need to recognize the many ways that transit supports other community goals, such as stimulating economic development, managing growth and ensuring community livability.
Living in a sprawled-out city also means spending an inordinate amount of your family's money on transportation. A recent study by the Brookings Institution showed that, even before the recent spike in gasoline prices, the median household in Kansas City spends more each year on transportation than on housing. We also spend an inordinate amount of our day behind the wheel, wasting time that could be used for relaxation, reading, recreation or visiting with friends and family."
FULL STORY: Imagine KC’s 13-part blog series on strategies for regional sustainability
Art in Action: USC Event Calls for an Urgent Green Energy Transition
The El Respiro / Respire event at USC uses a large-scale human geochoreography to demand an urgent and equitable transition to green energy, blending art, activism, and community engagement to amplify the message of climate justice.
LA’s Trees Absorb More Carbon Than Expected, But Can’t Do It Alone
A USC study finds that Los Angeles’ urban trees absorb more carbon than expected, but while they provide crucial environmental benefits, they cannot replace the urgent need for systemic emissions reductions.
Elevating Environmental Journalism: A Masterclass in Climate Storytelling
Pulitzer Prize finalist Rosanna Xia visited the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, sharing her climate reporting expertise through sea level rise field tours, engaging storytelling workshops, and an inspiring public lecture.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research