This week’s things to know:

The Future of Transportation: Well-Funded Buses (Not Self-Driving Cars) (Planetizen)
In contrast to the lofty prediction that autonomous vehicles would rule American roads today (Jacob Silverman in The New Republic) the technology still comes up against plenty of speed bumps (pun intended). This is called out in some ways by large ride-sharing companies decoupling with their autonomous vehicle departments. Silverman says that, "Across the industry, autonomous vehicle efforts have proven to be stubbornly difficult to bring to fruition, consuming billions of R&D dollars and thousands of engineering hours. Meanwhile, the infrastructure needed to support autonomous cars—government investment in roads, highways, communications, along with proper regulatory oversight—remains inadequate to the challenge." In summary the position taken here says for the immediate future of transportation in our cities to be safe, efficient, and appeal to a large range of users it lays with the infrastructure and public transportation prioritization first rather than depending on the technology around autonomous vehicles to come sooner rather than later -Ryan

What's Next for the 'Open Streets' of the Pandemic (CityLab)
A popular strategy during the pandemic has been to close some streets to vehicles and convert them to pedestrian spaces with outdoor seating, cycling tracks, and walking paths. Many have become popular with residents and businesses. Now that the pandemic restrictions are easing, cities are contemplating what to do - keep them in their current form or go back to the pre-pandemic configuration. This article offers some guidance on how to decide, and offers some inspiration for ways to "level up" the ones you decide to keep pedestrian focused. -Kevin

Lessons From Quebec on Universal Child Care (CityLab)
During our ongoing health crisis, child care centers across the States have faced a spate of closures, the Canadian province that pioneered a model for universal subsidized child care had a markedly different experience — even from other parts of their own country. As U.S. policymakers consider ideas to improve child care affordability, a new report shows how this universal subsidized system in Quebec enabled it to weather the pandemic. Treating child care as a part of a community's public infrastructure allows for those who may not be able to afford it a way to seek out further employment, education, and trust that their children are not left to fend for themselves. -Ryan

How Cities Can Give Streets to Kids for a 'Summer of Play' (CityLab)
Kids have been cooped up for over a year. Why not take the spirit of experimentation we've seen during the pandemic a little further, and let our children take over local streets for the summer? -Kevin

Accessory commercial units as affordable space (CNU)
In this second of a two-part series exploring Accessory Commercial Units (ACUs), business spaces that attach to residential units, and how they fit into the toolkit of Incremental Urbanism one highlight brings out the economic effects of ACUs. According to the article, bringing down the cost of entry through ACU implementation can reduce the barriers of entry into affordable commercial spaces. This can ease the approach and access to the “first rungs on the ladder of economic opportunity”, making business creation and growth accessible to folks who come from backgrounds that have been subject to repression, oppression, or other economic disadvantages. To learn more and perhaps start from the beginning of this series, consider reading Part 1 and following with today's chosen article. -Ryan

CNU 29.Design For Change | Registration (CNU)
Registration for CNU 29.Design for Change is now open, with opportunities to register still available through the end of the congress. The days of events start on May 17th, so head over and see if there is something that piques your interest!

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