| Recent images of charred and crushed cars lining the streets of Pacific Palisades have focused new attention on a fundamental challenge of confronting wildfires: how to evacuate entire communities given the sprawling layout of many high-risk neighborhoods. The question comes as climate change fuels stronger and more unpredictable wildfires, and brings them closer to populated areas that have been carved into fire-prone landscapes. Street pattern analysis determined that in California, poor street connectivity is a hallmark of fire country. That means residents have fewer exit routes and more roads leading to nowhere. Fola Akinnibi and I ask how cities can be better prepared today on CityLab: In a City of Sprawl, Wildfire Evacuation Is Getting Harder — Linda Poon Will Americans Ever Lose Their Taste for Telework?
The pandemic-era rise of remote work has hammered transit ridership and devastated downtowns. A transportation researcher looks at the long-term effects of our new commutes. Chicago Agency Pitches $1.5 Billion Plan to Fix Transit Woes
Transit officials say the annual investment plan would plug a $770 million budget gap and stave off service cuts. Migrant Fast Lane Exposes Trump’s Challenge in Central America
The incoming US president wants to halt a wave of migration. But Panama and Costa Rica are helping expedite the trek through their territory. | 
