#21: Very Light Rail, Land Value Tax Tools, and Moonlight Safety

Welcome to the 21st 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:

• Moonlight significantly reduces pedestrian deaths, suggesting that even low-level lighting interventions could drastically improve safety on dark streets, particularly in rural areas.

• According to a new analysis, some U.S. metros, including Seattle, Portland, and Salt Lake City, are successfully building most new housing in walkable, low-VMT neighborhoods. Lessons for the others are inside.

• Coventry is offering free public rides on its new Very Light Rail, which aims to be lower cost and higher quality than traditional light rail.

• A new open-source tool, LVTShift, is now available to help users model the impact of land value tax shifts in their cities.

• Dear young urban planners is a short and inspiring compilation of advice planners wish they knew 10 years ago.

• A new study in Amsterdam reveals how debt has been a hidden force in urban development for over a century. Using David Graeber's debt theory, researchers examine four neighborhoods to show how financing shapes our cities' physical form.

Videos, podcasts, books, and socials:

• “San Francisco's Map, Explained” is a nice video about how migration, fires, earthquakes, and more shaped the city.

• “The Radical Housing Experiment You’ve Never Heard Of | Self Build” is a five-minute video about a group of people in London who, with the help of the city, built their own homes with their own hands.

Jobs:

• Cityfi is seeking a remote senior associate focused on urban policy, mobility, and climate resilience. $90k - $110k salary.

• NYC DOT is hiring a public realm designer in Manhattan to develop and implement pedestrian-centered projects like Open Streets and plazas. $84k - $97k salary. June 13.

• Organizers for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles are hiring a senior manager, mapping and spatial solutions to lead geospatial strategy and mapping operations for transportation planning and operations for the games. $115k - $130k salary.

Events and deadlines:

• “Next City Event: Park Bench Chat | Turning Rankings Into Results: ParkScore Index in Action”. June 11.

• Join fellow urbanists in Berlin for a Climate Resilience Bike Tour and networking event (€25-€35). June 14.

• The MIT Center for Real Estate is seeking paper submissions for its Technology and Real Estate Symposium. Submit by June 15.

• The California Transportation Foundation (CTF) and Caltrans are offering scholarships to students planning careers in transportation, including engineering, planning, and environmental sciences. Apply by June 30.

---

What did you love? What did we miss? Let us know in the comments below.

As always, please share with a friend!

A city street at night with a full moon in the sky. Source: Robin the Bird