What We’re Reading (3/12/2021)

Each Friday, the Wagner Planner editorial board will publish a news roundup of recent planning news. Topics range the gamut of urban planning concentrations, but will mostly be at the discretion of the editor.

All the City Ladies

“In the U.S., women — particularly those of color — make up the majority of frontline workers, but also bear the burden of childcare with little government support. Before Covid forced schools to shut down, women were already putting more hours into the workweek than men. Now, millions have had to drop out of the labor force, with many unable to juggle multiple roles.” (CityLab)

 

The Pandemic Prompts Cities to Rethink the Parking Spot

 
“In recent years, transportation advocates had pushed cities to reconsider the value of parking and of the curb, that strip of public space often reserved for private car storage. Startups offered to help officials map and, eventually, charge for use of the space. No one knows how many parking spaces there are in the US, but some estimates put the number around 2 billion—seven times the number of vehicles and six times the number of people.” (Wired)
 

Can Planting More Trees Keep Cities from Heating Up?

“One of the factors that cause urban environments to reach sweltering temperatures is a lack of vegetation. Trees alone could make a big difference: One model suggests that urban temperatures in Phoenix, Arizona, the hottest city in the US, could be reduced by over four degrees Fahrenheit if more trees provided cooling canopies over the scorching hot city.” (Popular Science)

 

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