For the second day in a row, massive blackouts have brought India's cities to a standstill as trains, traffic lights, and ATMs failed in New Delhi and throughout 14 states across the north and east of the country.
Today's blackout, double the size of yesterday's failure, has reportedly cut power to 600 million Indians - half of the country, and 1/10 of the global population. Reporting from New Delhi, Simon Denyer and Rama Lakshmi indicated that, "More than 500 trains came to a halt, and thousands of passengers were
briefly trapped inside the capital's Metro line. There was gridlock on
many streets of the capital as traffic lights stopped working. Bank ATMs
also failed."
However, in a country used to power outages, airports, major industries, and those with means were able to switch to backup generators. A whopping 300 million Indians have no access to power to begin with.
According to Denyer and Lakshmi, "Indian industry leaders blamed the incident on a large and growing gap
between electricity demand and supply, something that the government has
failed to tackle despite repeated pledges to do so. Some senior
government officials say reform of the power sector is the greatest
challenge facing Asia's third-largest economy in the next few years."
FULL STORY: India blackout, on second day, leaves 600 million without power
How to Keep a City Running During a Blackout
Dr. Jay Apt offers four cost-effective steps for cities to maintain essential services when the next big blackout hits.
Disaster Averted!
The California power grid withstood its biggest test ever on Tuesday and passed—barely. The only rolling blackouts that occurred during the Stage Three Energy Emergency alert were results of miscommunication.
Cities Have Tried to Rein in Cars, and the Results Have Been Mixed
Vehicle pollution is making cities around the world unlivable. Some cities have taken steps to curb auto use and emissions, with varying levels of success.
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.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path
Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.
Congestion Pricing Drops Holland Tunnel Delays by 65 Percent
New York City’s contentious tolling program has yielded improved traffic and roughly $100 million in revenue for the MTA.
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
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