Writing in Streetsblog USA, Kea Wilson describes the 'virtuous cycle' of bikeability where residents start calling for more bike infrastructure, indicating a shift towards biking as a common mode of transportation.

Advocacy group PeopleForBikes issues annual City Ratings to measure this shift. Cities scoring 50 or above on their SPRINT rubric—which evaluates protected bike lanes, safe intersections, and reduced speed limits—are considered to have reached the tipping point where bike culture is firmly established.

• 2023: 183 communities scored 50 or higher.

• 2019: Only 33 communities reached this score.

• Coverage: These communities represent just 8% of the 2,300 cities evaluated.

Martina Haggerty, senior director of local innovation at PeopleForBikes, explains that reaching this score means more residents feel safe biking, leading to increased ridership. This, in turn, spurs advocacy for better bike infrastructure and policies, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of improvement.

Barcelona, Spain, will implement a citywide ban on new and renewed short-term rental licenses, aiming to phase out STRs by 2029. This move, reported by Macarena Munoz Montijano and Thomas Gualtieri in Bloomberg CityLab, is one of the most aggressive against short-stay rentals.

• Current STRs: About 10,000 registered short-term rentals in the city

• Rent Increase: Rent prices per square meter in Barcelona increased 14% in the 12 months through April, making them the highest among Spanish cities, according to Idealista

Cities like New York City have also implemented strict regulations on STRs. Berlin initially banned short-stay lets of entire homes in 2016, but after finding the ban hard to enforce, the city replaced it in 2018 with looser restrictions and higher fines.

Accessibility to public restrooms is a critical aspect of urban living. Recognizing this, New York City recently launched a Google Map layer showing the city’s nearly 1,000 public toilets, reports Sarah Holder in Bloomberg CityLab.

• Map Usage: Viewed 2.5 million times in the first few weeks

• Restroom Locations: Includes parks, plazas, libraries, and transit centers

The map is part of the “Ur In Luck” initiative to improve restroom accessibility. The plan includes:

• Creating 46 new park restrooms

• Renovating 36 existing park restrooms

• Adding 14 self-cleaning public toilets

Access to restrooms is a basic human need. New York City's initiative highlights the importance of this often-overlooked aspect of urban infrastructure. This effort raises the question: Will other U.S. cities follow NYC's lead in improving public restroom facilities?

Los Angeles officials celebrated the city's Sidewalk and Transit Amenities Program (STAP) at a ribbon-cutting for a new bus shelter in Tarzana on June 27. This comes as another major heat wave is set to hit Southern California, with temperatures expected to exceed 100 degrees in many areas.

Linh Tat in Los Angeles Daily News explains that STAP, managed by the Bureau of Street Services (StreetsLA), aims to install 3,000 new bus shelters and 450 shade structures.

• 2022: Only 25% of L.A. bus stops had any shade or shelter

• STAP Goal: Ensure 75% of bus riders in each of L.A.’s 15 City Council districts have shelters

The new shelters feature larger shade canopies, lighting, accessible seating configurations, and digital displays. Priority for new shelters is based on factors such as the number of riders, heat exposure, minority or low-income populations, households without car access, key destinations, and stops with long wait times.