Homes in St. Paul, Minnesota by Kathleen Conklin licensed under Creative Commons.

How do descriptions like “neighborhood character” bolster structural racism? Transit has a role to play in racial justice. Street design is also an important bike technology.

How “neighborhood character” is the hidden — and not so hidden — language for structural racism: In St. Paul, Minnesota long after racial covenants have been deemed immoral and illegal, the language of “neighborhood character’”, a shorthand for continued exclusion, still exists within the city’s zoning code. This reinforcement of structural racism through words and ideas disempowers communities of color while empowering primarily white and affluent homeowners. (Gretchen Brown | Rewire)

Transit’s role in racial justice: The US has long failed to address equity and racism in transportation investments but we have an opportunity to make changes. Darnell Grisby, Director of Policy Development and Research at the American Public Transportation Association, argues there are some key things we can do to start down that road. (Darnell Grisby | CityLab)

Street design is important bike technology: The most important bike technologies are street design and infrastructure because they protect people on bikes and encourage bicycle use in cities. Two examples of bike investments that led to safer outcomes and more riders were in Lisbon and in Toronto. (Eric Jaffe | Sidewalk Talk)

Rich Americans emit more greenhouse gases: Wealthier Americans’ per capita footprints tend to be higher than their less affluent counterparts. This is compounded as their homes get larger, even as houses are becoming more energy-efficient. (Lloyd Alter | TreeHugger)

A planning agency will measure equity before building interchanges: The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency is creating a policy on interchanges which attempts to look beyond congestion and safety and consider the future environmental justice implications of highway construction. (Steven Litt | Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Quote of the Week

“We are not here to expropriate. What we want is for apartments to be rented, if the answer is no, we will open the file and they will go to expand the city’s public housing sector.”

Barcelona city housing commissioner Lucia Martín in CityLab discussing the plan to purchase and rent vacant apartments to increase supply.

This week on the podcast, California Planning and Development Report’s Josh Stephens joins us for a two-part episode on his new book The Urban Mystique.