Community Development & Design
How will New York City accommodate 9 million residents? Crain’s New York asked 12 design firms for their big ideas on how the city could meet the needs of a growing population. [Crain’s New York]
Former New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka reflect on potential for renewal for the state’s urban centers at the NJ Spotlight on Cities conference, available now via podcast. [NJ Spotlight]
More than half of NYC’s listings on Airbnb violate the new state law banning advertisements for short term rentals. [Gothamist]
The New York City Council passed the Freelance Isn’t Free Act this week, protecting freelance workers from wage theft. [WNYC]
Stamford, Connecticut is planing the city’s first ADA assessment in 25 years. [Stamford Advocate]
Energy & Environment
Four years later, the lessons learned from Hurricane Sandy are not lost on New Jersey’s utility companies, as South Jersey Gas and PSE&G prepare to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to make their power grids more resilient to extreme storms. [NJ Spotlight] Meanwhile, recovery work still continues on Long Island for projects like the reconstruction of Bay Park sewage treatment plant and rebuilding of the beach and flattened dunes on Fire Island. [Long Island Press]
Some of the world’s largest cities could dramatically improve public health by investing just $4 per capita in added urban trees, according to a new study by the Nature Conservancy. [City Lab]
New Jersey could save $4 billion in healthcare and climate costs by 2050 by switching to electric vehicles, according to a new study by the American Lung Association. [NJ Spotlight]
Transportation
A new study by the National Bureau of Economic Research finds that Uber and Lyft may not be as race-blind as many hoped, with drivers often discriminating against black passengers. [City Lab]
Agreeing on more money for roads and bridges may be easier than finding workers to build new infrastructure. [NPR]
New York Times architecture circa Michael Kimmelman and PAU founder Vishaan Chakrabarti discuss what it will take to truly transform Penn Station. [WNYC]
While New York state has the legal authority to determine how and when autonomous vehicles operate in New York City, NYC Department of Transportation representatives have begun pushing for the department to have a voice in the city’s driverless future. [Streetsblog NYC]
Photo: Design by FXFOWLE