National Links: Is privatization of civic assets a modern civil rights issue?

The argument for treating civic infrastructure as part of a modern civil rights agenda. The mayor of Paris is fighting car culture. Google unveils transit-oriented development plans in downtown San Jose.

The case for investing in public infrastructure: For decades the United States has underinvested in civic infrastructure from parks and playgrounds to child care and housing. To reverse the movement towards privatization of civic assets, infrastructure must be a part of a 21st century civil rights agenda, argues K. Sabeel Rahman. The issue’s importance is heightened as cities and states grapple with budget crises and consider pulling back from public infrastructure. (K. Sabeel Rahman | The Atlantic)

Paris mayor says cross-city car trips are out: Since her re-election, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo is sticking to her promise to beat car culture, saying “we must forget the crossing of Paris from east to west by car.” The plan includes doubling bus, taxi and EV lanes as well as building more cycleways. Motorists are not happy with her decision but Hidalgo continues her mission to ecologically transform the city and fight climate change. (Carlton Reid | Forbes)

Google’s grand vision for downtown San Jose: Last week, Google released renderings and plans for 4,000 housing units, 7.3 million square feet of office space, and park space on 30 acres of land around future high speed rail stop Diridon Station in downtown San Jose. The company hopes to reduce its carbon footprint by reducing car trips and building a local microgrid. (George Avalos | San Jose Mercury News)

New ways to measure travel habits: A report by Brookings uses new methods to measure travel such as digital tracking technology to detail connections between trip types and distances. In looking at six metro areas, they found that the average trip is seven miles, but in more urban places that number drops to four. The findings show that longer trips are common in suburbs around the country and outline how urban form is linked to trip length. (Jennifer Vey, Joseph Kane, Adie Tomer | Brookings)

The costs of ignoring climate change: Preparing South Florida for climate change will cost billions, but the damage from failing to prepare will cost even more, according to a new report commissioned by the South Florida Climate Compact. If the region doesn’t adapt, it could face $38 billion in damage by 2070. (Alex Harris | Miami Herald)

Vanya Srivastava contributed to these summaries.

Quote of the Week

“…our project highlights the essential role of architects in drawing up new cartographies that can represent new ways of thinking about our cities and also change the current model of the city that has so far prioritised economy over health. As architects, we must redraw cities to make their complexity visible; we must include what is invisible, including the negative of what was built: the air, an apparently empty space invaded by human action and filled with atmospheric pollution that endangers the survival of our species and non-human species.”

Spanish architect Olga Subirós in Forbes discussing why she and other Barcelona architects are using data to visualize air pollution.

This week on the podcast, Stephanie Gidigbi of NRDC joins the show to talk about federal transport policy, race, and the importance of performance measures.