#10: Housing Models Under Pressure, Congestion Pricing Success, and Cities' Impact on Health

Welcome to the tenth 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.

As we reach our tenth issue with over 200 subscribers, we want to thank you for the thoughtful tips and recommendations you've shared. Your suggestions helped us discover fascinating urban innovations and stories that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. It's inspiring to see how this community cares about creating better cities, and we're excited to continue learning and growing together.

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!

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Let's get started:

• With a million fewer cars, 450k new daily MTA riders, decreased crime, decreased traffic injuries, and more it looks like “Congestion Pricing is a Policy Miracle” for NYC.

• Georgia is studying the feasibility of an intercity passenger rail line between Atlanta and Savannah.

• Research reveals how urban design impacts heart health and longevity. In São Paulo, Leite and colleagues found that living closer to community facilities like sports centers and bike paths significantly reduces the risk of early death from heart attacks.

• Last year, Mexico City’s water crisis became a major political issue. This month, Long Lead published an article full of beautiful photos that show the personal impacts this has on people. It’s bad enough that it is profitable for people to steal water from government pipes and resell it to residents.

• "Who Bears the Brunt of Disruptive Innovation? The Effect of Grocery E-Commerce on Local Retail Competitors," explores the impact of Amazon Fresh and Instacart on local grocery retail stores. The study found that Amazon Fresh negatively impacts local stores' sales and employment, while Instacart does not.

In housing:

• Planners, activists, and policymakers consistently argue that accelerating housing construction is crucial to solving urban housing crises. In “What if there were a moratorium on new housebuilding?” Pagani and colleagues challenge this widespread approach by studying London's housing associations, suggesting that focusing on maintaining and retrofitting existing stock could offer sustainable alternatives to growth-dependent housing strategies.

• Singapore's renowned public housing system, which achieved a 90% homeownership rate, faces new challenges amid soaring prices. This report explains that while government-built flats remain relatively affordable for first-time buyers, million-dollar resales and long wait times are testing the model's sustainability.

• While Vienna is recognized as a model of housing decommodification, new research suggests the reality is more nuanced. Justin Kadi argues that Vienna represents an institutional hybrid, where strong social housing protections coexist with increasing pressures from the private rental sector as corporate owners and deregulation have transformed one-fifth of the city's housing stock.

• A NBER working paper challenges the standard view of housing markets, finding that housing supply constraints do not explain differences in rising house prices among U.S. cities. This suggests that easing housing supply constraints may not improve housing affordability as anticipated.

• A promising housing experiment in St. Petersburg is proving successful after its first year. Innovare's mixed-income housing model, combining formerly homeless residents with low-income renters, has created a thriving community where neighbors support each other and residents are making significant progress in rebuilding their lives.

Videos, podcasts, and books, and socials:

• The Urban Design Institute has curated a list of ten essential books to reshape our understanding of sustainable cities and urban development.

• In “How Much Progress Have We Made on Climate Change?” YouTuber Simon Clark shows the world’s efforts are bearing fruit but we still have a long way to go. The video features a beautiful handmade globe.

• Wendover Productions released a video about how the “privatization” of Japanese rail improved it. Spoiler: It’s only quasi-privatized and more like a reorganization.

• Network Nathan shared an in-depth review of London’s new controversial electric bus: the BYD BD11.

• Vishakha Tiwari has launched a new course called “Mastering Site Analysis Maps.” It helps architects, urban designers, and landscape professionals create clear and compelling site analysis visuals using Adobe Illustrator.

Jobs:

• The Geocomputation Unit at the Department of Geography of the University of Zurich is seeking a PhD candidate to develop an index of multiple deprivation for Canton Zurich. Apply by April 10.

• The Labour Geography Unit at the Department of Geography of the University of Zurich is looking for a PhD candidate to explore precarious labor and develop solutions for better integration into labor market statistics. Apply by April 10.

• Housing California is seeking a communications associate to lead digital storytelling and advocacy efforts around housing justice. $65,000 - $75,000 salary. Apply by April 15.

• The Partnership for New York City is hiring a senior manager to help manage its Transit Tech Lab, engaging with startups and public agencies to bring cutting-edge solutions to transportation challenges. $95k - $115k salary.

• The Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research has 10+ job openings with deadlines as late as April 19.

• Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) is seeking a PhD candidate for a position in Institutional Planning Theory.

• The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.) is seeking an executive director to lead the organization in fighting government surveillance and protecting civil rights in New York and across the country.  $95k - $122k salary.

• The Colorado Energy Office is seeking a program manager for commercial buildings to lead a $38M grant program and oversee the state's Building Performance Program, focusing on building decarbonization and energy efficiency initiatives. $85k - $95k salary. Apply by April 30.

Events and deadlines:

• The Terner Center is hosting a webinar “Integrating Housing and Behavioral Health Services through Homekey+” exploring how California's Prop 1 and Homekey+ can support housing for people with behavioral health challenges. March 26.

• Placemaking Europe hosts “Elephant Park: A community-led vision for a sustainable future,” discussing how tactical placemaking and community engagement transformed one of London's largest urban regeneration projects. Online event. March 27.

• LSE Cities hosts "Public Innovation in Europe's City Governments," discussing findings from their landmark study of 65 European cities and their innovative approaches to urban challenges. The webinar explores how leadership and organizational culture drive public sector innovation. April 3.

• The Urban Sustainability Exchange platform hosts “Digital Citymakers' Summit 2025: Urban Collaborations,” bringing together leaders from Metropolis, Eurocities, UCLG, World Habitat, and C40 Cities to discuss how local sustainability initiatives can drive global urban transformation. Online event. April 10.

• Registration for Remaking The Street Summer School 2025 is open. The program explores street experiments, future mobility, and urban transformation through lectures, site visits, and hands-on activities. Early bird registration ends April 14.

• The Barcelona Field School is a one-week program designed for urban enthusiasts interested in learning how Barcelona has created high-quality public spaces, and restructured urban land uses, and streetscapes. May 17-23.

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Avenida Paulista - Centro Histórico de São Paulo (cropped). Source: Nathana Rebouças