Publication: Fast Company

UCLA Expert: V. Kelly Turner: Assistant Professor, Urban Planning; Assistant Professor, Geography; Co-Director, Luskin Center for Innovation; Associate Director of Urban Environment Research, Luskin Center for Innovation; Member, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability

Synopsis: Los Angeles officials unveiled a new bus shelter pilot that was roundly mocked online. But the design illuminates bigger issues with infrastructure planning.

UCLA News: “What I see is a shade structure that has been basically whittled down by all the regulations and policies that make it really difficult — and you can call it illegal — to produce shade where needed,” Turner commented on the inadequacy of bus stops in Los Angeles. Although some of the challenges are especially pronounced in L.A., other cities need to similarly rethink shade as heat waves grow. “Most cities probably need to step back and think more holistically about shade,” Turner said. That also means planning beyond bus stops, so pedestrians can walk comfortably. (It doesn’t always mean trees, since mid-rise buildings can also offer shade.)

Read more at Fast Company.