Every day, The Overhead Wire collects national and international news about cities and sends the links to their email list. At the end of the week they post some of the most popular stories to Greater Greater Washington, a group blog similar to Streets.mn that focuses on urban issues in the D.C. region.
World’s smartest city: After gaining a reputation as being a rural outpost, Etteln, Germany, has stepped into the modern age. A digital communication strategy has connected every part of the village by fiber and to the broader economy. With those connections, the community has been able to access digital city services and real-time weather displayed in a 3D digital twin. Etteln was recently voted smartest city in the world, according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. (Michaela Haas | Reasons to be Cheerful)
Range anxiety: New research on 40,000 electric vehicle drivers finds that drivers used only 12.6% of their battery range on average. As vehicles start getting 400 to 500 miles per electric charge, some automakers are developing more lower-range options which still fit the needs of most drivers. Actually owning and using an electric vehicle seems to be key in helping ease driver anxieties over factors such as range and the availability of charging stations. (Tim Levin | Inside EVs)
Toronto designates transit areas for development: The government of Ontario, which encompasses Toronto, has released a list of 120 officially designated major transit station boundaries. The designation allows for more planning and greater density/building heights in these areas which will help the region focus on growth and provide more housing options. Minimum density targets within walking distance are now around 80 jobs and residents per acre for subways and 61 jobs and residents for light rail. (Brandon Donnelly)
In Vienna, anyone can build a parklet: More than 100 parklets called Grätzloasen have popped up in Vienna, Austria, since 2015. The parklets are community driven, and grants are available through a local city-funded organization. While some residents wonder why anyone would want to replace a parking space, they soon warm to an amenity that also serves as an urban cooling function. (Will Grimond | The Guardian)
Rethinking the 85% rule: Speed limits on urban roads have been set by the 85% rule for decades, meaning that the 15th fastest car should set the speed limit. But the rule came from outdated studies on rural roads and has persisted even as the science has changed. Now states and cities are rethinking the rule in the name of safer streets. The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) suggests following the city limits rule, which sets speeds based on activity levels and potential for conflicts. (Jeff McMurray | Associated Press)
This week on the Talking Headways podcast, we’re joined by Oxford, Ohio, City Councilor and Miami of Ohio Professor of Geography David Prytherch. We chat about his new book, “Reclaiming the Road: Mobility Justice Beyond Complete Streets.”
Quote of the Week
“This is an important and carefully planned move, and we are approaching the finish line. The church is truly unique and means a lot to many people beyond just being a landmark of Kiruna, and we want to give everyone the opportunity to be a part of this historic event.”
— Stefan Holmblad Johansson in Dezeen discussing moving a 672-ton church 3 miles away to make room for more underground mining in Kiruna, Sweden