• Following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in August, there was much discussion about how Houston’s sprawling development and haphazard land use planning contributed to the catastrophic flooding. But as part of the city’s rebuilding effort, Houston leaders have released a new plan that aims to build up and better connect the city’s downtown core by focusing on issues like compact growth and walkability.

• Are we approaching the end of the Automotive Era? Former VP of General Motors, Bob Lutz, thinks so. Human-driven vehicles will be legislated off the the highways within the next 15-20 years, he predicts, and the tipping point will come when 20-30% of vehicles are self-driving, and statistics prove that nearly all accidents are caused by human drivers. But there will be a transition period, of course: “Everyone will have 5 years to get their car off the road or sell it for scrap.”  

Topics: Streets & Transit; Autonomous Vehicles

• From Livability to Lovability: The Role of the Placemaker in Co-Creating Vibrant Cities (URBACT)
• The Link between Cars and Income Inequality (Urban Edge)
• Mayoral Powers in the New Age of Localism (CityLab)
• Walking While Black (ProPublica)

• CFP: 2018 Creative Placemaking Leadership Summits (Regional, Deadline: November 22, 2017)
• Job: T4America Policy Associate (Washington, DC)
• Job: President and CEO, Smart Growth America (Washington, DC, Deadline: November 15, 2017)
• CFP: URBACT III Call for Transfer Networks (Deadline: January 10, 2018)
• CFP: EDRA49 "Social Equity by Design" in Oklahoma City, OK, June 6-9, 2018 (Deadline: December 1, 2017)
• Conference: UN-Habitat World Urban Forum, Cities 2030 (Kuala Lumpur, February 7-13, 2018)
• Conference & CFP: 55th International Making Cities Livable (Ottawa, Canada May 14-18, 2018)