Investigation: Anti-homelessness laws don’t work
New analysis of camp bans and punitive anti-homelessness measures shows that it is not helpful in reducing actual homelessness. As Roshan Abraham explains in the following city, “In this study, the study used data derived from the Continuums of Care to examine the impact of ordinances enacted in the 100 most populous US cities from […]
In the US, urban gondolas face uphill battles
“For all its usefulness at Mammoths, Bale, Jackson Hole and Disney World, Gondolas has become accustomed to urban transport in the US. According to an article by Josh Stevens in Intranting Magazine, “The gondolas have taken hold in Latin America, where Colombia, Mexico City and Bolivia La Paz revolutionized mountain mobility, but is a densely […]
Trump encourages restructuring of the Transport Research Committee with “Unprecedented Overreach”
The Transport Research Committee (TRB), the transportation division of the National Academy of Sciences, is restructured to avoid scrutiny from the Trump administration, and is announcing the dissolution of committees related to climate, sustainability, equity and cities. David Meyer reports on changes to Streetsblog USA. According to an email sent to committee members by TRB […]
San Antonio and Austin are fused into one giant megalegion
The central Texas region between Austin and San Antonio is growing into one metropolitan area, Jared Bray rules. Small towns dotted across the area between the two cities are exploding with new developments. One such town, Cedar Park has grown from 5,000 in 1990 to more than 77,000 today. According to Bray, “From July 2023 […]
Meta’s Secret Weapon: The Superintelligence Unit That Could Change Everything
Meta has announced the creation of Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL), a dedicated division focused on achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), marking a significant escalation in the tech giant’s AI ambitions. Meta Launches Superintelligence Labs, Poaching Top AI Talent from OpenAI and Google In an internal memo obtained by Euronews Next, CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed that […]
In the California housing battle and environment, housing won
California’s new state law could exacerbate the housing crisis and overturn important environmental review laws that some critics have denounced for blocking or delaying the construction of necessary homes. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) has historically been one of the most powerful tools for environmentalists, historic preservationists and others (including Nimby activists), and is […]
Boulder eliminates city-wide parking minimal
Colorado City Council Boulder voted unanimously to eliminate parking requirements for the new development. The ordinance requires a final vote and is expected to come into effect in August. According to an article in the John Herrick for Boulder Report Lab, “The change aims to reduce the costs of building homes and opening businesses, but […]
Orange County, Florida, uses the largest “sprol repair” code in the United States
Orange County, Florida, employs what could be the nation’s largest form-based code (FBC). The “Orange Code” was adopted simultaneously with the county’s Vision 2050 comprehensive plan, as it is called. “The code covers land with around 900,000 residents in the unintegrated area of Orange County, and is designed to accommodate and directly improve growth towards […]
The discussion of vacation rentals in Maui is ugly
The proposal to x Maui’s thousands of vacation rental units has encouraged intense debate in tourism-dependent cities. As Erin Nolan explains in Honolulu’s Civic Beat, “In other parts of the islands, in the mainland and other countries, the tug of war over short-term rentals reflects strong sentiment as civil servants struggle to provide more affordable […]
San Francisco pauses calm traffic amid record death
San Francisco is closing its residential congestion calm program citing cost concerns, reports Matthew Green of KQED. “Since the launch of the traffic congestion program in 2013, residents have been able to request new speed reduction devices in their neighborhoods, such as concrete islands, speed bumps (and bumps), road markings and rubber road cushions.” Currently, […]