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Bellevue builds its first downtown bike lane. But there's a catch

Michelle Baruchman

August 01, 2018 |

The Seattle Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Bellevue, Washington

Bellevue’s pilot bike lane project is starting slow and ready for feedback. By beginning the project with less than a mile of bike lanes downtown, the city made sure to brand it as a pilot, hoping to measure results and adapt accordingly. Also, the Bellevue Downtown Association had a clear voice in expectations for any bike lane project, all of which were met in the initial pilot. The city hopes that bringing on board urban planners, city council, and the downtown association will increase chances of long-term success.

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To fix its housing woes, should California look to Seattle?

Matt Levin

July 26, 2018 |

CalMatters |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

In response to the rapidly developing Seattle housing crisis, the city has begun to rezone single-family housing as high-rise apartment buildings and create accessible public transportation in redeveloped areas. Though this fastest-growing city in the country has a long way to go in the fight for affordable housing, the Bay Area cities can look to these rent-stabilizing solutions as possible responses to their own housing crisis.

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How 3,000 streetlights turned San Diego into America's smartest city

John R. Quain

July 25, 2018 |

Digital Trends |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Diego, California

A municipality’s ability to collect data and implement small changes can mean cost savings, increased efficiency, and improvements to daily life. By incorporating the ‘internet of things’ into thousands of streetlights, San Diego is able to collect and disseminate data on street usage, parking spots, and traffic optimization.

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The Private Cities of Honduras

Luis Fajardo

July 18, 2018 |

BBC |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Honduras, San Pedro Sula

To attract foreign investment, Honduras is creating privatized cities with Western-style laws and foreign judges. The development initiative is bringing in money and creating jobs, but the enclaves are tailored to please private companies and may undermine Honduran sovereignty and social cohesion.

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Design as Democracy: Barcelona's ‘Carritos' Encourage a More Inclusive Urbanism

David de la Peña

July 16, 2018 |

TheCityFix |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Spain, Barcelona

Urban planners in Barcelona have a new way to engage locals who want a voice in urban design. Carritos, or mobile carts, are traveling to public spaces to draw in people who can share their opinions on development projects. This especially helps get feedback from those who do not have time to attend traditional city planning meetings. The goal is to make city planning a more inclusive space.

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Bugs and Birds: New Residents of a Greener Madrid

Jaime Velazquez

July 13, 2018 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Spain, Madrid

With a little strategic planning, cities can nurture biodiversity in the urban environment. “Sometimes, small actions can bring incredible results,” says Antonio Morcillo, deputy director for conservation of green areas and urban trees in Madrid. The city is allowing the Manzanares River to flow, spontaneous vegetation to grow, and opening hundreds of birdhouses and insect hotels to counteract habitat loss.

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One Woman's Quest to Fight Gentrification by Asking Residents How

J. Brian Charles

July 05, 2018 |

Governing |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Portland, Oregon

Even as cities fight gentrification, residents are often consulted late in urban planning, if at all. Cat Goughnour is pushing for change in Portland. Her consulting group ran a series of workshops, resulting in community-generated ideas for improving the Albina neighborhood that wouldn’t displace longtime residents.

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How two Belgian cities turned their pavements into playgrounds

Anoush Darabi

June 22, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Belgium, Antwerp

Urban planners in Belgium are creating play spaces, known as the “speelweefselplan,” to give children more room to be outside. The design process includes asking schoolchildren about their routes to and from school, and then planners map out ways to make those routes more interactive. As cities grow and traditional parks are limited, this model shows a way that cities can continue to be welcoming for children.

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Reviving the City: How an Asphalt Plant Turned Into a Public Park

Laura von Puttkamer

June 21, 2018 |

Urbanet |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Mexico, Mexico City

By participating in the decision-making process, Mexico City residents successfully convinced the government to build a public park instead of an office development. The Parque Imán is 2.4 hectares, includes 163 trees, and the green space can potentially benefit up to 200,000 residents of some city boroughs. While there are some concerns about the soil quality in the park due to the adjacent asphalt plant, the park shows how participation from residents and transparency from the government allowed the public space to be built.

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Three ways cities remodelled their streets for people, not cars

Anoush Darabi

June 08, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Pedestrian-oriented development takes many forms, but three cities have demonstrated success. In New York City, a local transit commissioner convinced the city to pedestrianize parts of Times Square using data to make the case. In San Paulo, local officials simply repainted streets to test redesign efforts. Finally, Barcelona is becoming known for its superblocks, which decrease car use by redesigning large city blocks.

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