#38: Urban Reform School, Mobility Nudging, and London's Sustainability Success

Welcome to the 38th 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:

• The Urban Reform School is launching in Ukraine to provide non-formal education in urban planning and city development. The program aims to train agents of change to rebuild and develop Ukrainian cities based on sustainable and people-oriented approaches.

• A gamification and rewards scheme in Braga, Istanbul and Tallinn engaged about 1,500 cyclists, saving over 133 tons of CO2 and generating more than €85,000 in local spending over six months. The study demonstrates that such nudges can successfully encourage a long-term modal shift towards active mobility.

• London has met its legal limits for nitrogen dioxide for the first time, a milestone achieved 184 years ahead of schedule thanks to its Ultra Low Emission Zone.

• A new report finds Europe’s car industry is highly profitable and hoarding funds while lobbying for public subsidies and weaker climate regulations. This manufactured crisis undermines the transition to sustainable mobility and underfunds alternatives like public transit and cycling.

Videos, podcasts, books, and socials:

• Technical University of Munich and humankind are offering a free course to help develop urban mobility business ideas through the MobyLaunch program. The course fee is waived until October 15.

Jobs:

• City Lab Barcelona is hiring a postdoctoral researcher to model bicycle ridership patterns in Barcelona with a focus on gender and equity. The role involves working with large-scale sensor and citizen science datasets. €35k salary.

• The University of Florida is recruiting PhD and Postdoc candidates for 2026 to advance UrbanAI through research in AI and resilient spatial planning.

• Tampa, Florida is hiring a tier 3 planner for affordable housing to manage federal and state grants and determine project eligibility. $75k - $132k salary. Apply by October 20.

• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology is hiring a tenure-track professor for ‘city and climate’ to advance the design and adaptation of the built environment to the challenges of climate change. October 31. Submitted by Franziska.

Events and deadlines:

• Project for Public Spaces is offering community placemaking grants for U.S. nonprofits and government agencies.

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