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How Oakland Got Real About Equitable Urban Planning

Rikha Sharma Rani

October 08, 2020 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Oakland, California

Oakland is making an effort to make city planning more equitable to include the needs of communities of color. "Esential Places" is the second iteration of a program that started off as "Slow Streets" and was criticized by local residents for catering to "white and moneyed interests." The initial attempt was informed by survey respondents who were overwhelmingly white and rich. Meetings with community members in distressed neighborhoods resulted in different traffic challenges and pedestrian needs. The shift in policy planning has led to safer intersections with no collisions at previously dangerous sites.

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Do We Need Police To Curb L.A.'s Traffic Violence? Some Cities Are Saving Lives Without Them

Ryan Fonseca

September 24, 2020 |

LAist |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

Five years after Los Angeles launched its Vision Zero program to reduce traffic fatalities, the numbers of pedestrians and cyclists killed on city streets have soared. By relying too heavily on the racially fraught and often ineffective practice of police stops of vehicles, and by not spending enough on street redesigns and automated enforcement technologies, L.A. has failed to make the kind of progress that cities like New York and Seattle have made with engineering innovations, stricter speed limits, and camera enforcement.

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Bogotá Is Building its Future Around Bikes

Andrea Jaramillo

August 10, 2020 |

Bloomberg |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Colombia, Bogotá

To help essential workers navigate the notorious traffic of Bogota, the city built over 50 miles of an emergency bike network. The plan was in place before the arrival of coronavirus but the execution was sped up to meet the demands of increased bike usage. Other measures were also put into place to make the roads more bike and pedestrian-friendly: Reduced speed limits for cars, a 20 percent increase in private parking for bikes, and a bike registration system to deincentivize bike theft. Efforts to expand bike lanes not only eased traffic, they also helped relieve pressure on the overcrowded bus system.

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Bellevue uses AI technology to identify problem intersections and make them safer

Michelle Baruchman

August 07, 2020 |

The Seattle Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Bellevue, Washington

Artificial intelligence and traffic cameras are being used to identify dangerous intersections in Bellevue, Washington. Data from thousands of hours of footage revealed that intersections where drivers, bikers and pedestrians had near misses were the most problematic spots in need of improvement. Leveraging traffic data allowed the city to pinpoint potentially dangerous situations relatively quickly and implement the changes that are needed to secure those intersections.

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How the ‘15-Minute City' Could Help Post-Pandemic Recovery

Patrick Sisson

July 15, 2020 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: France

Some cities are using coronavirus shutdowns as opportunities to start infrastructure projects that support car-free living and encourage walking or biking to jobs, shopping, and city services. Car-free urban development benefits the environment, revitalizes cities by keeping resources local, and has become more appealing because of fears of virus spread. Paris, Milan, Tallinn, Ottawa, and Portland are among the cities using coronavirus-related lockdowns to kickstart bike lane and pedestrian zone projects. As the pandemic has decimated city budgets, it is a challenging time to begin infrastructure projects.

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#MakeCyclingSafer: In Nairobi and cities around the world

Duncan Lukoye

June 03, 2020 |

DIRAJ |

Multi-Media |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Kenya, Nairobi

In Nairobi, as in other major cities around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted travelers away from mass transit to bicycling for social distancing purposes. This presents policy and safety challenges, as many more cyclists use streets designed only for automobiles. But, with benefits extending beyond virus protection to physical fitness and lowering carbon emissions, planners are pushing for cycling lanes and other design changes in hopes that the cycling craze will continue even after the pandemic danger eases.

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The long road to a zero-carbon country

Jocelyn Timperley

June 01, 2020 |

BBC |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Costa Rica, San José

The capital city of San José in Costa Rica is taking steps to become greener and less dependent on cars. By focusing on public transportation initiatives like city bikes and bike lanes, a green esplanade, and an electric passenger train, the city is hoping to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and help the country reach net zero-carbon by 2050. While the cost of these projects can be pricey, many residents are strong advocates for making the city more sustainable.

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COVID-19 dining out: Restaurants take to the streets to create socially distanced dining rooms as nation reopens

Jessica Guynn

May 21, 2020 |

USA Today |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Warrenton, Virginia

As the U.S attempts to reopen, restaurant owners from California to Florida are expanding their restaurants into nearby outdoor space, including sidewalks and parking lots. In doing so, they are able to offer patrons a safer dining environment, as there is more room to keep tables further apart and follow social distancing precautions, and it also helps restaurants earn more revenue than if they were limited to indoor space. Some city governments are streamlining the process, including Brookhaven, Georgia, which made it free to access short-term permits for outdoor dining.

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Greensboro's Art-Dotted Greenway a Respite During COVID-19, and an Economic Engine After

Cinnamon Janzer

April 28, 2020 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Greensboro, North Carolina

The Downtown Greenway in Greensboro was already underway when the coronavirus hit and it has turned out to be quite the respite and economic boon. The Greenway draws visitors in with trails, greenways, public art, local businesses, and "the first grocery store to open in 30 years in downtown.” $8.5 million was invested in the project, but it has already brought in $215 million in revenue. The Downtown Greenway was created in partnership with the city and nonprofit Action Greensboro, and while it's currently being used with social distancing, it'll still be there when the quarantine is over.

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Photos: The Contradictory Flaw In The City's Underwhelming Open Streets Plan

Ben Yakas

March 27, 2020 |

Gothamist |

Multi-Media |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

In an effort to prevent overcrowding in public spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City has closed a few streets in four out of five boroughs. This density reduction plan, though, doesn’t seem to be getting put to use, and some say is just wasting city resources having police stationed at these closed streets.

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