The skies could soon be filled with electric, autonomous air taxis, but they'll need a place to take off, land and recharge — hence the arrival of the "vertiport," Joann Muller reports.

Why it matters: These transportation hubs could become critical parts of urban or regional mobility ecosystems, linking fast and convenient air travel to other forms of transit, like airports, buses, trains and ride-hailing networks.

Driving the news: The Federal Aviation Administration is releasing new design guidelines, shared first with Axios, to ensure these landing sites are safe, well-lit and well-marked, and that they can support the necessary charging infrastructure.

• While the FAA has yet to certify these low-altitude aircraft for flight, the agency's vertiport design guidelines will help airport owners, operators and infrastructure developers begin development now so they're built when the aircraft are ready to launch.

Where it stands: Manufacturers of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOLs) — giant passenger drones, if you will — are already laying out plans to begin operations, some as soon as 2024 with pilots on board.

• Boeing-backed Wisk last week released a roadmap outlining how it aims to integrate pilotless air taxis into the national airspace system by 2030.
• Germany's Lilium plans to open its first vertiport near Orlando by 2025 for piloted flights.
• Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation have partnered with Reef, the country’s largest parking management company, to create landing sites atop existing parking garages.

What they're saying: "Our country is stepping into a new era of aviation. These vertiport design standards provide the foundation needed to begin safely building infrastructure in this new era," said FAA associate administrator of airports Shannetta Griffin.

Details: The FAA guidelines provide key information about how vertiports should be developed, including standard dimensions, lighting and signage.

• They should be 100 x 100 ft. — a little bigger than three tennis courts — with a 48 x 48 ft. landing pad in the middle, marked by a dedicated crosshairs symbol identifying it as a vertiport.
• The guidelines also dictate the airspace required for approach and departure, stipulating that a vertiport must be 500-700 feet away from existing commercial runways.
• The FAA also spells out rooftop requirements for elevated vertiports.

Flashback: New York Airways briefly offered helicopter service to the top of the Big Apple's Pan Am Building (now the MetLife Building) in the 1960s and '70s, but stopped after a fatal crash.

What to watch: It's not clear who should pay for eVTOL vertiports.

• The funding issue is being heavily debated at the federal, state and local levels, reports Vertical Magazine, an industry publication.

The bottom line: Once far-fetched dreams like flying cars are beginning to take off, thanks to technology advancements and huge capital investments. Where they'll land is the next question.

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Downtown traffic congestion in major U.S. cities has risen significantly since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, but remains short of pre-outbreak levels, per a new analysis, Alex Fitzpatrick reports.

Why it matters: The pandemic has been an opportunity for cities to rethink their approach to car traffic.

• New York City, for instance, is moving forward with "congestion pricing" — essentially tolling downtown-bound drivers — to reduce the number of cars on the road.

Details: Traffic congestion — as measured by the amount of time vehicles spend in traffic compared to the time such travel would take in free-flow conditions — is down about 27% across major U.S. cities' downtowns compared to pre-pandemic levels, per research from traffic data firm StreetLight.

• Downtown congestion is closest to its pre-pandemic levels in San Diego, Phoenix and Houston.
• It's furthest from those levels in Chicago, Philadelphia and San Jose.

The big picture: The resurgence in downtown traffic "may signal good news for the economy, but it’s bad news for overall emissions and quality of life as traffic congestion makes a comeback across America," reads StreetLight's report.

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A handful of U.K. companies experimenting with a four-day workweek said the new schedule didn't reduce productivity, the New York Times reports.

Why it matters: It's further evidence that at least some kind of jobs don't necessarily need to be Monday-Friday.

Details: Among 41 companies participating in the trial, which began about three months ago, 35 said they would probably keep the new schedule even after the experiment officially ends in November.

• Only two said productivity had dropped, while six said it had actually improved — maybe because of heightened employee morale.

Alex's thought bubble: Four-day workweeks could mean longer hours during those days you're on the clock, but that's a small price to pay for an extra full day to yourself.

• What do you think? Give us a shout at [email protected].

Artificial intelligence is helping speed up the development of crops that can better cope with devastating drought and heat, Axios' Alison Snyder reports.

Why it matters: Changes in the climate and growing global food insecurity are putting pressure on breeders to develop more resilient plants.

What's happening: Machine learning algorithms and other AI tools are becoming more widely available to plant breeders.

• Breeders use them to analyze data that reflects what's known about plant biology — for example, how high or fast a plant grows, and whether it can withstand hot or dry conditions in a region.
• That data can help AI predict the combination of genes — and the genes that regulate them — that can improve a plant's tolerance without reducing the yield.
• Instead of crossing plants for generations to find the best-suited ones, breeders can use AI to more quickly predict which genetics will yield the desired traits.

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The New York Mets set a modern MLB record last week with 106 batters hit by pitches this season, Axios' Kendall Baker reports.

Why it matters: Baseball is struggling with a surge in beanballs over the last few seasons, putting players at risk of injury.

• The three highest hit-by-pitch totals in the modern era have occurred in the last two years, with the Reds (105) and Dodgers (104) having Mets-like seasons last year.
• Theories as to why numbers are up include more inside pitches, increased velocity of breaking balls, and a ban on "sticky stuff" that helped pitchers improve their control.

What they're saying: "I'm closer to the plate and I don't move," said Met Mark Canha, who's been hit a league-leading 24 times this season.

Alex's thought bubble: Of course it's the Mets.