#28: Urbanism Comics, Under/overwhelming Trains, and Kitty Connections

Welcome to the 28th issue of Urbanism Now, our weekly newsletter curated with brief and insightful urban ideas from around the world to inspire action where you (c)are.

This newsletter is curated by Maria Paula Moreno Vivas and Ray Berger. Learn more on our About page.

Thank you for your interest and support. If you find this newsletter useful, please forward it to a friend!

Let's get started:

• A new comic explores Mexico City's 1989 "Hoy No Circula" law, which limited the number of cars on the road in an effort to fight pollution, and questions its effectiveness. Mercedes Campos López does a beautiful job turning a dry topic into an engaging story.

• Los Angeles has opened its long-awaited LAX/Metro transit center, connecting the K and C rail lines to the airport. But without the automated “People Mover” connecting directly to the airport, some folks are underwhelmed.

• Meanwhile, Lu Dadao, a leading Chinese economic geographer, argues that China has massively overbuilt its high-speed rail, creating huge financial losses, underused infrastructure, and absurdly located stations.

• Kitty’s Laundrette in Anfield, Liverpool, is reviving its high street with eco-friendly laundry services, community events, and living-wage jobs. This worker-owned model generates £43 social value per £1 invested while rebuilding community connections and local commerce.

• Kittys in Amsterdam will be a little safer soon as plans to install “wildlife exit sites” in canals to help cats and other small creatures are in development.

Videos, podcasts, books, and socials:

• Here’s a news clip about those (unpermitted) wooden benches volunteers are installing at bus stops in the Bay Area to provide seating where none exists. $100 goes a long way.

• BBC released a new video, “Could ‘degrowth’ save the world?”, exploring the movement’s roots in Barcelona, its global rise, and what a post-growth economy might look like, from housing co-ops to ecological justice.

Jobs:

• TU Delft and AMS Institute are hiring a postdoc in circular urban development and industrial symbiosis to help model and plan circular value chains in Amsterdam. €40k - €64k salary. August 15.

• California YIMBY is hiring a political director to design and execute the organization’s political strategy to shape state legislative, administrative, and judicial outcomes. $110k - $140k+ salary.

• trubel&co is hiring a part-time, remote geospatial justice facilitator to teach K-12 students and professionals how to use GIS for social change. $22/hour.

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