A few things to know this week: February 5, 2021
This week’s things to know:
Go or No-go? Doing the Math on New Projects PRE-RECORDED) (StrongTowns)
I recently joined Chuck Marohn, president of Strong Towns for one of the stops on their Local-Motive Tour, 10 online webinars over 8 weeks that are designed to help people take action and build a stronger town or city. Chuck and I talk about the resource gaps in our cities and various ways cities can think about doing the math to quantify their gap and evaluate go/no-go on new projects. Look for more from Verdunity and Strong Towns together in the upcoming year. -Kevin
11 Black Urbanists Every Planner Should Know (APA)
In honor of Black History Month, the American Planning Association has done something that has been woefully absent in so many discussions of planning history and AICP prep: recognizing and calling attention to Black urbanists whose efforts have greatly improved our understanding of cities. From historical figures such as W. E. B. DuBois to present-day figures such as Mary Pattillo and Geoffrey Canada, it's a great starting point to become familiar with incredible work that is deserving of recognition. -AJ
The people wanted Lego bike lanes, and Lego is finally listening (The Verge)
Bike lanes have made it to LEGO sets!!! When I was going through my LEGO phase back in the late 70s/early 80s, the cars were smaller and the lanes in road plates were narrower. Over the past 40 years, the vehicles and lanes have gotten bigger. Sound familiar? But, things could be changing in LEGOLAND, as LEGO recently released a set that includes a bike lane. I hope to see a lot more bicycles, scooters, and bike lanes from LEGO soon, and the same goes for our real cities. -Kevin
2021 RESOLUTION: CRASH, NOT ACCIDENT (AAA)
The slogan of AAA is "expect something more". Well, I'm glad to see that they are offering something more in 2021 by calling for a resolution for everyone to get on board with. What resolution? To stop using the word "accident" when talking or writing about car crashes. This is not a new phenomenon - our world continually is guilty of using language that undermines our supposed values or intentions. That said, I'm glad to see them drawing attention to an issue that still happens all too often. As their director of public affairs says, "When a plane crashes, we don’t call it an ’accident’ – in large part because we demand answers, and that it doesn’t happen again,". It's a reminder that we all need. The crashes may not be intentional, but the behavior that leads to them is a conscious decision. -AJ
Houston earns dismal grade for financial health, new report says (Houston Culture Map)
The nonprofit think tank group Truth in Accounting has released its annual Financial State of Cities report, which is a comprehensive look at the fiscal health of the 75 largest cities in the U.S. It's always an eye-opening look at the amount of liabilities our cities have and what taxpayers are on the hook to pay. Texas cities are spread throughout the list with Plano near the top (9th) and one of the few in the black, Arlington just barely in the red, and then Dallas and Texas' other major metros further down the list. -Kevin
Moving from the Inequitable Housing System We Have to the Housing System We Need (Shelter Force)
There are three basic things that advance us towards equity in housing, as summarized in this short piece from Shelterforce. While some of these things seem overwhelming to accomplish, they represent an excellent way of simplifying the plan forward by providing elements that can (and should) become part of every city's decision making process in matters of capital budgeting, community development, planning, and more. -AJ
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