Climate strategies: As cities figure out how to reduce their climate impact, they shouldn’t overlook what “sharing economy” platforms like Uber and Airbnb can do to help, according to a new study. The Washington Post reports:
Think of the sharing economy, then, as a scaled-up version of a large family home, where everyone watches the same television, does their laundry together, shares meals and rides in the same car, a paper published in Ecological Economics suggests.
From calling an Uber to using public parks and libraries, shared resources can cut down on individual energy consumption and help to tackle climate change, the researchers found.
Outbreak: People are scrambling for vaccinations in San Diego, after reports that the Hepatitis A outbreak already responsible for 16 deaths has now infiltrated the restaurant industry. Some are pointing blame at the city’s delays installing public restrooms downtown to serve homeless people. (San Diego Union Tribune)
Street makeover: In an imagined redesign of the traffic-clogged Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, Lyft and its planning expert partners introduce a narrower path for vehicles framed by wider sidewalks, more trees, protected bike lanes, and an exclusive lane for (autonomous?) buses. (CNN)
Immigrant lifeline: As born-and-raised locals are shipping out of many Midwestern cities, more immigrants are moving in, according to Census figures showing immigrants accounting for 37 percent of the growth in the region’s metro areas over the past 15 years. (And look at Rockford, Illinois, which saw a 64 percent spike.) (Chicago Tribune)
The tech imbalance: Why doesn’t Amazon’s bid for HQ2 mention social equity as a priority? A Texas Monthly column notes the sharp income inequality befalling cities where tech becomes dominant, including Amazon’s home Seattle and even the once-bohemian Austin.
City chalupa: Taco Bell’s new focus on Millennial-dense urban areas has birthed plans for 350 new “cantina-style” stores, many serving alcohol, in cities including Detroit, Pittsburgh, Nashville and New York. (Sacramento Bee)
The urban lens:
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