#36: Tiny (Urban) Forests, Pop-Up Plazas Permanentized, and Cargo Bike-Share Initiatives

Welcome to the 36th 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!

Apologies for the late newsletter. This week we attended the final graduation and reunion for 4CITIES. It was sad to see such a great program end, but wonderful to reunite with old friends and meet many proud alumni. Over 130 joined!

Let’s get started:

• Fast-growing ‘tiny forests‘ using the Japanese Miyawaki method are spreading across Scotland and the U.K., bringing biodiversity and climate resilience benefits to urban areas.

• Five of Vancouver’s popular pop-up plazas, which transform streets into public gathering spaces, are being made permanent fixtures.

• Montreal is experimenting with three cargo bike-share initiatives, including a nonprofit, a community-based platform and an integration with the city’s Bixi bikeshare system. The programs make cargo bikes more accessible by lowering barriers like cost, storage and theft.

• Officials in the Philippines’ Department of Transportation are now required to take public transit once a week to better understand the needs of commuters.

• Rail travel is booming in America, with Amtrak launching new European-style Acela trains between Boston and Washington, D.C.

• Dutch tech startup Hardt Hyperloop set a new European record for hyperloop technology after a successful lane-switching test in the Netherlands. Submitted by Oriane.

Videos, podcasts, books, and socials:

• Tell us what you’ve been reading/watching!

Jobs:

• The NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development is hiring a senior land use planner to manage city-owned property and advance affordable housing projects through zoning and land use analysis. Apply by September 27.

• Dr. Wojciech Kębłowski is seeking doctoral candidates interested in working at The University of Hong Kong. Apply by September 31.

• Practice, a human-centered design firm focused on creating diverse and equitable urban environments, is hiring a project designer II. The role requires 3-5 years of post-graduate experience.

• The City University of New York is hiring an assistant professor in urban policy and planning for Hunter College’s School of Arts and Sciences. Reviews begin October 1.

• The Universitat de Barcelona is offering a fully funded PhD position in sociology

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