• Debunking the 15-minute city conspiracy

    The 15-minute city has nothing to do with restricting freedom—it's about restoring freedom.
    If you spend much time on social media, and you are interested in urban planning, you know that the “15-minute city” has recently been the subject of controversy and conspiracy theories. As one Instagram user claimed in a video that has 5,600 likes: “You won’t be able to use your own car on certain...Read more

  • How JFK Promenade was saved

    A win for community over cars in San Francisco shows how systemic change in a city's transportation and public space network is possible when groups focus on shifting power, transforming land use, and resetting culture.
    Phil Ginsburg, General Manager of San Francisco's Recreation and Park Department, refers to Golden Gate Park and its 152-year history as the "keeper of San Francisco's story." In November 2022, the story changed with a big win for community over cars. Voters overwhelmingly approved (63 percent of...Read more

  • Sustainable design pioneer Kelbaugh remembered

    Influential urbanist, architect, academic, and early proponent of transit-oriented development (TOD) Douglas Kelbaugh died February 18 at the age of 78. Kelbaugh was professor and dean emeritus of the architecture and urban and regional planning at Taubman College of the University of Michigan. He...Read more

  • Electric cars shouldn’t distract us from changes to the built environment

    News that mining of lithium comes up short to solve the climate crisis highlights a need for walkability and micromobility.
    Governments and car manufacturers are touting electric vehicles (EVs) as the wonder antidote to climate change. EVs will need abundant mined lithium, a key component of EV batteries. A recent report by the Climate and Community Project at the University of California, Davis, Achieving Zero...Read more