A Colorado state program helps renters build equity for paying their rent on time. As reported by Roshan Abraham in Next City, the program gives renters a cash stipend amounting to roughly 2 percent of their rent each time they pay. The stipend accumulates on a card and can be transferred to a checking account.

This initiative is part of the 2022 state affordable housing package, Proposition 123, which included a unique program allowing tenants of new affordable housing to be paid "equity" for the homes they rent. This aims to give renters some financial benefits similar to those of homeowners.

The Colorado Tenant Equity Vehicle Program, still in development, aims to help renters build equity and save emergency funds. The state provides cheap loans to developers for building affordable housing. 

As developers repay the interest on these loans, the state routes some of the interest payments directly to tenants, removing the predatory element of private debt.

Smaller, private pilot programs are already underway in the state, potentially serving as models for the broader statewide program.

Two air taxi companies have received FAA certification to operate on-demand passenger flights, with commercial operations expected in 2025, reports Dan Zukowski in Smart Cities Dive. The FAA anticipates the growth of urban air mobility, leading to more use of remotely-piloted and autonomous aircraft in the U.S.

• Archer Aviation: Signed an agreement with San Francisco to explore a vertiport at the Kilroy Oyster Point development in South San Francisco.

  • Planned Routes: San Francisco to Oakland, San Jose, Livermore, and Napa

  • Commute Reduction: Aims to cut 60- to 90-minute car commutes to 10- to 20-minute air taxi flights

• Expansion Goals: Archer plans to extend services to Newark Liberty International and Chicago O’Hare airports if the initial phase is successful.

Extreme heat affects communities in numerous unexpected ways, according to research from Boston University’s Center for Climate and Health.

Kristin Toussaint in Fast Company explains that, besides dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke, extreme heat can endanger pregnant women, disrupt sleep patterns, and increase irritability, depression, and suicide rates. It is also linked to higher rates of violence, including intimate partner violence and gun violence.

Extreme heat impacts our physiological responses and cognitive functions. High temperatures are associated with poorer test scores, particularly affecting low-income and minority students in schools without air conditioning. 

Additionally, extreme heat is linked to more car crashes due to impaired judgment, concentration issues, and other driving errors.

Nearly two-thirds of the U.S. population lives in areas vulnerable to extreme summer temperatures. As climate change worsens, more people will be exposed to extreme heat and its health effects. 

This makes extreme heat a significant planning issue. Cities can mitigate heat effects by providing cooling centers, improving infrastructure to handle increased energy needs, and taking steps to reduce overall heat impact.