Calling it a violation of public spaces, a new report from a civil liberties group in the UK has criticized the banning of public drinking in more than 600 places in England and Wales.
"The report by The Manifesto Club, a civil liberties campaign group, claims authorities are increasingly taking control of the country's streets and parks to deprive people of the freedom to socialise."
"It says the public should be allowed to do as they please in public if they are not breaking the law, and accuses some police forces and councils of overstepping their legal powers by confiscating drinks without good reason."
"The group is calling on people to reclaim public spaces and plans to host a mass picnic to protest against drinking bans on Bank Holiday Monday in London's Hyde Park."
"It claims the idea took off in 2001 when the Criminal Justice and Police Act introduced Designated Public Place Orders, which allowed police officers to confiscate alcohol from drinkers and even arrest them. A similar power to confiscate drink from teenagers was put in place in 1997."
"The report says there are now 613 DPPOs across England and Wales, covering everything from the seafront at Southend to Bath town centre."
FULL STORY: Drinking restricted in 613 public places in England and Wales
England Begins Second Lockdown to Protect the National Health Service
The day after Election Day in America, the U.K. Parliament voted overwhelmingly to impose a 4-week lockdown in England to ensure that nation's prized healthcare system doesn't collapse due to treating mounting coronavirus infections.
Best Ideas of the Week
We all know there's a lot of planning going on around the world. Much of it is poor, short-sighted and generally just no good. But there are also some really great ideas being developed and adopted, and they should be considered by cities and communities all over the world as instructive examples of good planning. Here are what I think are some of the best ideas in urban planning from the last week.
Friday Funny: Squirrelly Passenger Causes UK Train Cancellation
Planetizen’s Friday Funny stories are often satirical, but this nutty story from Reuters is 100 percent genuine.
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
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Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service