Newsletter

If city-dwellers wanted to visit a green space in the 19th century, they likely found themselves at a cemetery. During much of that time, cemeteries played the role that city parks often do today, acting as a spot for people to gather. But increasingly over the past decade, communities have once again embraced hanging out in cemeteries. “Kennesaw was looking for ways to instead of fencing off to make it more accessible to their citizens,” says Holly Vine, executive assistant at the Atlanta Regional Commission planning agency. The city worked with ARC to gauge resident opinion and make the publicly owned Kennesaw City Cemetery into a green space for its burgeoning downtown. The cemetery, whose earliest known burial dates to 1863, has some prominent residents who contributed to Kennesaw’s founding. Follow this link to read more. Sourced from: Next City

Research cannot be excluded from conversations about systemic racism. We rely on the research process to expose systemic issues and guide us toward solutions. But deeply rooted in this process is a power dynamic, an aspect of research that dims its idealism when examined up close. It is our responsibility, then, to put in the work—examining our methods for harmful and disempowering practices, acknowledging them, and committing to a new approach. Research, even in pursuit of equity, isn’t exempt from racial and ethnic discrimination. Since the Urban Institute’s founding 50 years ago by then-president Lyndon B. Johnson, we’ve had to reckon with the behavior and the environment that shaped our founding principles. But beyond good intentions, the solution requires critical evaluation, explicit action, and accountability measures, often disruptive and uncomfortable, to effectively dismantle racist structures. Follow this link to learn more. Sourced from: Urban Institute

Public and outdoor space has been at a premium during the coronavirus pandemic: bike sales have leapt, park use is way up, and even pavement chalk drawing appears to be having a moment. Now as many cities start to reopen, some are looking at their sidewalks, squares, parking lots, and even streets as a hidden asset in boosting their economies. "The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed our relationship with our streets, open public spaces, and public facilities," said Laura Petrella, chief of planning, finance, and economy at UN-Habitat. "Public space has emerged as a critical lifeline for cities and their residents," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Follow this link to learn more. Sourced from: Thomas Reuters Foundation News

UN-Habitat’s most popular video series, the Global Urban Lectures, launches its sixth season on Tuesday, June 23, 2020. With over 170,000 views from 65 countries to date, the series of 15-minute video lectures features renowned experts discussing cutting-edge research and practical recommendations on advancing urban sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals in cities. The sixth series features 10 lectures providing quick and efficient online learning tools for local government officials, students, academics, and other urban professionals at a time when meetings and lectures are cancelled. Dr. Sahar Attia, Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at Cairo University and chair of UN-Habitat’s university partnership, UN-Habitat UNI, emphasizes the importance of digital learning on urban issues today: "With digital education becoming the new normal, the Global Urban Lectures offer innovative and practical distance learning not only for students, scholars, and researchers but also to a wider range of audiences interested in the challenges of cities today." Follow this link to learn more. Sourced from: UN-Habitat