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.
An e-bike transformed her life: After spending too much time driving and navigating traffic to get her daughter to school, Elizabeth Endicott took the plunge and bought an e-bike. What resulted was a new way of getting around that cut through traffic and didn’t result in her getting to her destination drenched in sweat. An added benefit was a better connection with her daughter during morning rides. (Elizabeth Endicott | The Atlantic)
The “user-pay” myth: Transportation has always been funded from various sources yet there is a persistent belief that users pay directly. This “user-pay” myth wasn’t even true just three years into the U.S. Highway Trust Fund’s existence: It failed, needing Congressional support to stay solvent. The idea persists today, but should be put to bed, argues Dan Cooke of the Union of Concerned Scientists. Public investment in transportation should be about getting people to destinations rather than just supporting drivers, he says. (Dave Cooke | Union of Concerned Scientists)
Designed forests: In an interview about his book “Designed Forests: A Cultural History,” Dan Handel explores how forests have been shaped by human design, uncovering deep connections among forestry, architecture and cultural narratives. He also notes that personal experiences with nature often form our ideas on landscapes, whether natural or designed, and this can influence our cultural interactions with them. (Urška Škerl | Landzine)
Taxing municipal bonds: Eighty percent of infrastructure funding comes from state and local spending, according to the Congressional Budget Office, and bonds are a significant fundraising mechanism to pay for it. But Republicans in Congress are considering removing tax-free status for municipal bonds to pay for tax cuts, which could make borrowing more expensive and increase city budgets. Additionally, as Susan Crawford argues, this could make funding for climate adaptation more expensive and leave it to the whims of private credit markets. (Susan Crawford | Moving Day)
Are cities becoming all the same?: A debate rages about different styles of architecture and what constitutes beauty. Is it classical or more modernist and minimal? Critics argue that the minimalist style has led to homogeneous cities that can be found anywhere. Others fear classical architecture is now politically motivated. Perhaps a mix of styles is the way forward to reduce the loss of cultural and social identity, says Lorenzo Villa in NSS Magazine. (Lorenzo Villa | NSS Magazine)
This week on the Talking Headways podcast, we’re joined by Stacy Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self Reliance, who chats about her recent article in The Atlantic entitled “The Great Grocery Squeeze.”
Quote of the Week
“For urban mining to really take off, it will require a shift in mindset among all the city’s residents — not just its builders. People’s natural instinct needs to shift from throwing away their old stuff to thinking how they or others might find a use for it.”
— Kobe Vaes in The Guardian, discussing Leuven, Belgium’s building recycling programs.