Diana Ionescu

Los Angeles

Contributing Editor at Planetizen

Urbanism, California history, death things. Editor @Planetizen [email protected] @[email protected]

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Articles

Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street

1 week ago | planetizen.com | Diana Ionescu

Waymo, the autonomous taxi operator, could soon have access to San Francisco’s Market Street, a major thoroughfare closed to most private vehicles. As Greg Wong explains in the San Francisco Examiner, the city allowed the company to survey and map the street, paving the way for autonomous taxi service. Currently, Waymo is allowed to operate on most of the city’s streets.
Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces

1 week ago | planetizen.com | Diana Ionescu

The International Parklet Symposium was held last week in San Francisco, and Streetsblog San Francisco’s Roger Rudick highlights the main takeaways. “The conference speakers talked about how parklets were dreamed up as a way to return a portion of our streets to something more akin to their original use,” Rudick notes, providing a brief history of how street space in the United States was ceded to motor vehicles.
Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave

1 week ago | planetizen.com | Diana Ionescu

The new director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness put the entire 20-person staff of the agency on administrative leave Monday, furthering the administration’s effort to dismantle federal housing programs. While the President cannot legally abolish the agency outright, its legal authorization expires in 2028 unless Congress takes action to renew it.
Restoring Northern India’s Himalayan ‘Water Temples’

1 week ago | planetizen.com | Diana Ionescu

A series of ‘water temples’ known as naula continue to serve Himalayan communities hundreds of years after they were built. In a piece for Reasons To Be Cheerful, Geetanjali Krishna explains how the ancient structures, built atop natural springs to protect the water supply and make it easier for people to fill their vessels, have been used by communities in Northern India for centuries.
Milwaukee to Double Bike Share Stations

1 week ago | planetizen.com | Diana Ionescu

Milwaukee’s Bublr bike share system will be expanding thanks to a $4.15 million funding package made up of a federal grant and matching city funds. “The money – the largest investment in the system since it launched in 2014 – will allow Bublr to double the number of stations over the next year.”Bobby Tanzilo describes the plan in OnMilwaukee, noting that Bublr plans to add 500 e-bikes and 800 docks to the system.
DC Extends Application Window for Outdoor Dining Permits

1 week ago | planetizen.com | Diana Ionescu

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) extended the application deadline for outdoor dining permits, giving businesses until November 30 to apply for a ‘streatery’ permit. According to an article by Dave Leval for DC News Now, “As part of the temporary Streatery Program, DDOT delivered and installed concrete jersey barriers to food establishments for free.
Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal

1 week ago | planetizen.com | Diana Ionescu

New wind energy projects are on the rise in the United States despite the federal government’s recent U-turn on renewable energy, reports Adele Peters in Fast Company. “In an executive order on his first day, Trump paused leases for offshore wind projects in federal waters. He also paused approvals for wind projects on federal land.” However, demand for renewable energy continues to grow, particularly as tech companies look to shore up energy sources for data centers.
Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification

1 week ago | planetizen.com | Diana Ionescu

Ridership on Northern California’s Caltrain system was up by 41 percent from the prior year in December 2024, according to a press release from Governor Gavin Newsom’s office. Additionally, Caltrain says the system is generating and sending even more energy than expected back to the electric grid. Caltrain launched its fully electrified (minus a segment south to Gilroy) rail system in September 2024.
Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation

1 week ago | planetizen.com | Diana Ionescu

Church leaders in Texas are urging state legislators to pass laws that would make it easier for faith-based groups to build housing on their properties. According to an article by Brittney Johnson for NBC Dallas, churches say the rezoning process for building housing can be expensive and time-consuming, with one Dallas-area church waiting six years for a permit to build affordable housing.
Grand Rapids Mayor Proposes Garage Conversion Plan

1 week ago | planetizen.com | Diana Ionescu

Grand Rapids, Michigan Mayor David LeGrand is proposing to legalize accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in the city, pointing to garages as one potential option for boosting the city’s housing supply. Grand Rapids needs over 14,000 new housing. units by 2027 to accommodate its population growth, notes Waleed Alamleh in an article for Fox 17.