Welcome to the 73rd 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:
The East New York Community Land Trust is making history as the first in NYC to purchase commercial property off the private market, transforming a vacant building into the “East Brooklyn Liberation Center” for affordable office space and community wealth-building.
SAKA, a digital tracking platform in Kenya, has successfully intercepted over half of all reported stolen motorcycles, disrupting the black market for boda bodas.
The Bay Area Rapid Transit system hosted its first-ever “BART Prom“ at the Rockridge station to foster community engagement and generate revenue amid a significant budget deficit.
Videos, podcasts, books, and socials:
Tom Weatherburn has updated “The Fruit Trees of Toronto“ map, an interactive resource for locating edible trees across the city.
Next City celebrates its 150th podcast episode, highlighting its 22-year mission to share urban solutions and inspire action.
The editors of Works in Progress analyze how 19th-century cities leveraged a unique combination of laissez-faire building rights and proactive municipal infrastructure planning to drive rapid, successful urban development in a 1.5 hour video. (Thanks Pearl!)
Jobs:
TU Delft is hiring a PhD position to research how spatial accessibility and mobility justice can support sustainable urban mobility transitions, particularly in the Netherlands. €3,059 - €3,881 per month salary. Apply by June 21.
The OECD is seeking an intern for its affordable housing team in Paris for 4-6 months, starting September 2026. The role involves research, data analysis, and policy support related to affordable housing and homelessness in OECD and EU countries. Apply by June 24.
SEPTA is hiring a planner, real estate planning & development to support the Transit Oriented Communities program by assisting in the redevelopment of properties and advancing land use and zoning changes. The salary is $73k - $91k. Apply by June 26.
California Housing Partnership is hiring a senior research associate to conduct quantitative and qualitative research and policy analysis on affordable housing, including developing Python-based data workflows and maintaining public-facing tools. $100k - $110k salary. Apply by June 29.
The California Strategic Growth Council is hiring a student assistant to support its Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program, which focuses on affordable housing, active transportation and community development. Apply by June 30.
ICLEI USA is hiring a remote program officer / senior program officer, sustainability (climate mitigation focus) to help local governments reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advance climate action. $65k - $90k salary. Apply by June 26.
ETH Zurich is hiring a doctoral researcher in social indicator development to analyze well-being in depopulating rural landscapes using text-based, spatial and machine learning methods. Apply by June 28.
Global Designing Cities Initiative is hiring a remote capacity building associate to coordinate and support the development and delivery of learning experiences for local leaders and communities focused on transforming streets. Apply by June 30.
Events and deadlines:
The School of Cities and Canadian Urban Institute launched the Learning From What Works 2026 Cohort, a call for Canada’s best place-building solutions. Winning ideas will receive a portion of a $10,000 grant. June 15.
An online SPUR event will discuss the Livable Communities Initiative, which aims to reimagine Los Angeles with charming, walkable streets and affordable dense housing near transit and job centers. June 16.
The Velo-city 2026 conference aims to inspire action in reshaping cities to improve quality of life and strengthen climate resilience through political leadership, strategic planning and innovative cycling solutions. June 16-19.
“Future City Regions: Urbanism and Architecture in Times of Uncertainty,” invites abstracts for contributions exploring how spatial decision-making can become more explorative. Abstracts are due June 22.
What did you love? What did we miss? Let us know in the comments below.
As always, please share with a friend!
A creative DIY corsage featuring a model of a legacy BART train car decorated with flowers, worn by an attendee at the BART Prom. By: KQED (screenshot)
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.