On Monday, Gothamist revealed the winners of a contest to redesign the traffic-clogged intersection of 4th Avenue and 9th Street in Brooklyn.
"Transportation Alternatives announced three winners today for 'Designing the 21st Century Street,' an open design competition that challenged New Yorkers to safely accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists, transit, trucks and cars on the same 'complete street' – something that has long eluded New York City street design. The winning entries, 'Shared Space' by Steven Nutter, 'Streets for Everyone' by Rogers Marvel Architects, and "Streets Come Alive" by LEVON, each prioritized pedestrians and bicyclists first, while maintaining the street as a transit hub and truck route.
More than 100 submissions from 13 countries tried to tackle the intersection of 4th Avenue and 9th Street in Brooklyn, a crossing that exemplifies car-first design by encouraging speeding and reckless driving while all but ignoring the walking and biking environment. Submissions ranged from the esoteric (a giant mirror placed in the center of the intersection, slowing cars with the illusion of a head-on collision) to the fine-tuned weaving of dedicated bike, car and transit lanes.
'We asked entrants to thread the needle of safety and mobility while designing world-class public space. Given that this intersection is one of the city's most problematic crossings, each of the winning designs could serve as a template for countless streets across NYC,' says Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives, the competition's sponsor."
Thanks to Wiley Norvell
FULL STORY: 21st Century Street Designers Reimagine 4th Ave & 9th
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
How Urban Form Impacts Housing Affordability
The way we design cities affects housing costs differently than you might think.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.