A Valley Metro Bus fare box in Phoenix, Arizona by Nick Bastian licensed under Creative Commons.

What are the costs of free transit and are they worth it? How electric vehicles are not the broad-stroke solution to climate change. How can we better sense our environment?

Should transit be free?: The debate over whether free transit is good policy continues with Jerusalem Demsas of the Atlantic, who believes that free rides don’t make sense if transit agencies are to reach all of the goals that are set for them. She argues that the free transit policy push is a function of a larger urban political failure to improve public services by making hard, and sometimes contentious, choices. (Jerusalem Demsas | The Atlantic)

Is the rush to electric vehicles an expensive mistake?: Sustainability experts and people-centered planning advocates are worried about the rush to electric vehicles, believing that they are here to save the car industry and not the planet. Cities should strategically electrify the motor vehicle fleet — focusing first on buses, taxis, and ride-hailing vehicles that spend many hours on the road each day. (Don Pittis | CBC News)

More than five senses for architecture: Some architects say five senses aren’t enough to fully perceive our environment. By using a philosophy known as phenomenology, we might be able to add a few more senses to the list of how we take in buildings and our environment. Under phenomenology, two other experiences should be considered, including; how you move through a space and how your body responds to it. If architects take this to heart, it might be possible to design better environments for people, not just for photographers. (Farzam Sepanta | The Conversation)

Are owner occupancy requirements driving up housing costs?: Cities across the country are examining regulations on a number of fronts including parking requirements and zoning regulations. But one area of regulation has received less attention — requirements for owner occupancy. These requirements often keep neighborhoods less racially and economically diverse and can hinder attempts to increase the housing stock through ADUs. (Karen Kroll | Smart Cities Dive)

Quote of the Week

“Although women were honored as workers during the war—when Rosie the Riveter was laid off, and wartime child care centers were shut down. We put a great deal of national effort into building the postwar suburbs which were making houses cheaply available to white, male-headed families in segregated subdivisions. The movement to the suburbs erased many of those earlier questions about how care work might be recognized and honored.”

Dolores Hayden in Metropolis Magazine discusses her thinking on care infrastructure.

This week on the podcast, we’re joined once again by Stephanie Gidigbi Jenkins and Helen Chin to talk about the one-year anniversary of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.