How global crisis affects design Public spaces in a COVID-19 world Architecture and indoor spaces have been largely implicated in the spread of coronavirus, so many urban planners are thinking about ways to best utilize outdoor spaces for the public in a way that promotes equality and health safety concerns. Cities around the world have built new bike lanes, widened sidewalks, and even closed down streets to cars in order to make room for socially distanced, alternate forms of transport....

We’ve known for quite some time that today’s “awesome” announcement needed to hold a big boom in order for Facebook to come back against thelatest revelationsin Google+. What we expected, however, caused today’s announcements to pale in comparison. Facebookhas announceda very simple, quite elegant way to do 1-to-1 video calling. While that’s great for many users, it’s missing the overtly-social aspect that Google+ already has with itsHangoutsfeature which allows for group video calling....

We recently reported onGoogle’s announcement of its Offersservice, a location-based deal service that has special offers and deals delivered to your inbox. It’s a lot like Groupon, but with Wallet and Checkout integration, Google has a strong advantage. Google Offers will be launched in Portland and roll out gradually to other cities. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll receive offers via mobile notifications based on location information, not just email. Potentially you could be strolling through a shopping center, receiving discounts on your phone for nearby shops while you’re there....

This article was originally published bySarah WrayonCities Today, the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders. For the latest updates follow Cities Today onTwitter,Facebook,LinkedIn,Instagram, andYouTube, or sign up for Cities Today News. New air quality maps show that Copenhagen’s major access roads have nearly three times more ultrafine particles and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and five times higher black carbon levels than quieter residential areas....

When I think of breaking news, I think about scrolling my timeline on Twitter to catch up on the latest developments in the story. Google wants to change that by adding a feature called Big Moments on its Google News. It is a good platform to catch up on some news that you might have missed or read articles on different topics. However, it’s not the best place to track breaking news....