Basketball courts at Turner Elementary School in Washington, DC by US Department of Homeland Security.

How neuro-inclusive design benefits all people. New research reveals how pandemic-era reductions in traffic increased access to jobs in many cities. Starter cars are increasingly unaffordable for many consumers.

When we design for autism, we design for everyone: Magda Mostafa, autism design consultant and architecture professor at the American University in Cairo, discusses how she sees design for autism and how she and her team put together The Autism ASPECTSS Design Index that acts as a tool to support neurodivergent design. In the index, there are seven architectural notions that can help not just children, but adults who are on the autism spectrum. (Jaxson Stone & Magda Mostafa | Metropolis Magazine)

Pandemic changed the commute: New research from the University of Minnesota’s Accessibility Observatory suggests that pandemic restrictions reduced limits on access to jobs significantly by reducing peak traffic congestion. The typical worker in Atlanta, for example, could reach 82% more jobs in 2021, and in Houston, 50% more. These changes in traffic behavior show how it is possible to increase the usefulness of the existing transportation system. (University of Minnesota News)

Starter cars going the way of starter houses: The price of the lowest-cost car is now just around $20,000. But several years ago, there were several models people could purchase for under that amount. It’s not rules and regulations, but car companies that are deciding that higher-priced models are more profitable and have stopped manufacturing their low-cost options. The US’ land use regime often requires people to own cars to get around, and now it’s more expensive to do so. (Addison Del Mastro | Discourse)

The effects of remote work: Three years after the start of a global pandemic, we’re beginning to see patterns emerge surrounding the effects of work-from-home policies. Productivity studies are all over the map and depend on the arrangement and management of workers. For example, working moms appreciate the flexibility of remote work but advancement prospects have become more limited, and downtown businesses are suffering from the lack of buzz and office workers. (This article may be behind a paywall). (Emma Goldberg | New York Times)

Utilities fear rooftop solar: At a recent hearing in Arizona, the expert witness for a public utility agreed that public utilities are worried about rooftop solar because it cuts into profits. This is one of the first times this has been admitted as public utilities often say nice things about rooftop solar but cap total installations. In the transition to clean energy, a mix of sources including rooftop solar will be needed. (Dan Gearino | Mother Jones)

Quote of the Week

“A person with a one-hour commute to work has to earn 40% more money to be as satisfied as someone who walks. At the same time, shifting from a long commute to a short walk would make a single person as happy as if he or she had found a new love.”

Bruno S. Frey and Alois Stutzer, economists at the University of Zurich, quoted by Inside Hook discussing the benefits of walking commutes.

This week on the podcast, Kari Watkins and Dave Ederer talk about their paper The Safe Systems Pyramid: A New Framework for Traffic Safety.