Every day, The Overhead Wire collects news about cities and sends the links to their email list. At the end of the week they take some of the most popular stories and post them to Greater Greater Washington, a group blog similar to Streets.mn that focuses on urban issues in the D.C. region. They are national and international links, sometimes entertaining or absurd but often useful.
Rhode Island could consider being a developer: Rhode Island voters approved $120 million in bonds for affordable housing late last year in an effort to address the housing shortage. But up to $10 million of that money could also be used to support public housing development, where advocates think the creation of a public development company could be the answer. The idea is gaining steam around the country as an opportunity for states to do more while being decoupled from federal funding. (Jared Brey | Governing)
Fashionista to well-known urbanist: Menswear icon Derek Guy is known for his fashion education and takedowns on social media, but he’s also one of the biggest advocates outside of the urbanism space for pushing back on auto dependency and promoting walkable communities. He argues that sprawl and auto dependence have led to bland business-casual attire as well as a reduction in hat wearing and tailored pants. (Aaron Short | Streetsblog USA)
The great abandonment: After the Cold War, Bulgarians left villages in droves to find work in cities, leaving behind countless farms and homesteads. More than 300 villages have been abandoned, and nature has taken over in their place, giving us a glimpse of how natural regeneration would look after humans are gone. Abandonment can lead to unpredictability but can also present new opportunities for a world struggling with climate change. (Tess McClure | The Guardian)
Hidden cause of food deserts: The consolidation of grocery stores has accelerated since the 1980s and, according to Stacey Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self Reliance, that change coincided with a rise in food deserts across the country. The culprit seems to be the lack of enforcement, starting in the Reagan administration, of the Robinson Patman Act, passed in 1936 to protect smaller retailers from larger ones. (Stacey Mitchell | The Atlantic)
Bill would keep cities from opting out of transit: A bill that would prevent cities from opting out of Wayne County transit funding obligations passed the Michigan House and is headed to the Senate. It would require 17 cities including Detroit, which has its own bus system, to be a part of a future funding vote. A countywide transit millage that would fund the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) bus service will come up for a vote in 2025. (Beth LeBlanc | The Detroit News)
This week on the Talking Headways podcast, writer Rob Walker is on to talk about his book “City Tech: 20 Apps, Ideas, and Innovations Changing the Urban Landscape.”
Quote of the Week
“Some drivers don’t think it’s a big deal. Well, it is a big deal — increasing the risk of crashes and compromising safety for all road users.”
— Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker in the Philadelphia Inquirer discussing a law she signed banning motor vehicles from stopping in bike lanes.