#22: Dollywood Outpaces State Transit, Jakarta's Transit Mandate, and Guerrilla Bench Movement
Welcome to the 22nd 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:
Dolly Parton's Dollywood Express steam train in Tennessee carries more riders than public transit trains in 27 US states.
NYC unveiled a new hardened daylighting design for high-crash intersections with conventional bike lanes to improve visibility and protect pedestrians and cyclists. Rolling out in select areas this year.
Many governments are trying to use AI to improve processing, including San Francisco and the UK.
Jakarta's new policy requires civil servants to take public transport on Wednesdays or risk losing promotion opportunities, with 96% compliance on the first day.
"Palestine: Spaces and Politics" debuts as a new initiative offering academic resources that provide depth and context beyond immediate colonial destruction, examining Palestine's built environment through architecture, geography, and urbanism.
The San Francisco Bay Area Bench Collective installs eight “guerrilla benches” at Mission bus stops, bringing their total to 88 installations across the Bay Area.
A new study identifies five U.S. metro areas—Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City, El Paso, and Miami—as leaders in building housing in walkable neighborhoods, with Seattle leading at 62% of new housing in low-VMT areas.
Videos, podcasts, books, and socials:
Following up from last week, “Introducing Coventry's Very Light Rail System” is a nice walk-through of the system.
A new book review forum examines "City of Men" by Romit Chowdhury, exploring how masculinity shapes urban spaces in India through the lens of transportation workers, challenging traditional approaches to understanding cities in the Global South.
Jobs:
GovAI seeks Winter Fellows for a three-month research program in London, offering £11,000 stipend to early-career professionals interested in AI governance, with applications due by July 13, 2025.
Events and deadlines:
A five-day program in Barcelona will explore how the city uses art and culture for urban regeneration and public space development, featuring site visits and discussions for urban professionals. Sept. 21-26. (Submitted by Meg)
EIT Urban Mobility offers a free online course on Superblocks, available until December 2025, teaching how this Barcelona-born strategy transforms cities by prioritizing people over cars.
What did you love? What did we miss? Let us know in the comments below.
As always, please share with a friend!
Public Benches Installed By Activists. Source: Doc M Popular