City Planning, Transportation Policy, Sustainable Life
The last book Jane Jacobs completed before she died was Dark Age Ahead. It’s a rant against the evils (real and imagined) that she felt were crippling society. Meandering and pessimistic, it lacks the eureka moments of Death and Life of Great American Cities, but […]
Nashville has recently become an economic mecca for young professionals looking for jobs out of college, but before its development boom it was mostly known for its music. Nashville started one of the first major music radio stations in 1925 which featured a live broadcast called the […]
Walk around the downtown of any major U.S. city and you’ll probably see signs indicating time-of-day restrictions for on street parking. Some streets have AM peak restrictions, while many have PM peak restrictions. The rationale behind these policies is to better accommodate peak hour traffic […]
Depending who you listen to, brick and mortar retail is either in its final breaths or is simply in a creative shift away from traditional department stores. Either way, things are changing and the death of retail as we know it offers many sustainable redevelopment opportunities. Many […]
The University of Westminster recently released a cycling safety study which used travel surveys to predict future cycling crash hot spots. By recording rider information on near misses, non-injury incidents and qualitative perceptions of safety, Rachel Aldred and Sian Crosweller showed that slower cyclists experience roadways […]
I’m currently living in Dallas, but much of my formative hands-on planning education took place in Baltimore. Baltimore has an incredible array of assets, including historic neighborhoods, great architecture and a world famous waterfront. Urban renewal took its tool on the city, however, and the […]
A community led revitalization of Broad Street in Memphis. A few buckets of paint, some pop up shops, and entrepreneurial spirit helped bring a neighborhood back to life. Temporary projects like these often encourage city agencies and politicians to re-imagine how streets can better serve […]
The American Planning Association recently put out a comprehensive guide on shared mobility. You’re most likely familiar with the concept: Short term access to a mode of transportation on an as-needed basis. Think Zipcar, Uber, bike share, product or food delivery services, and soon, self-driving […]
Not enough credit is given to 4 to 3 lane road diets. They can be a relatively low cost way to calm traffic, reduce crashes and provide bicycle lanes all in one resurfacing project. 4 lane roads attempt to accommodate higher traffic volumes and left […]
I stumbled on an article the other day which asked a question I never really considered: Should transit be free? I began to dig around and found a whole network of free transit advocates. Several cities around the world have abolished transit fares, usually with […]