Can planners and architects build a better model of suburbia? Long Island Index thinks so, and has designed a contest to retrofit parts of asphalt laden suburban Long Island. Ideas are discussed in this NYT blog on design and architecture.
Allison Arieff suggests that the word "suburb has outlived its usefulness as a descriptive term - and as a model for future planning."
"Suburbs continue to be designed for homogeneity even though they're no longer homogeneous at all, and in fact have become increasingly varied in type, density, infrastructure and demographics."
Noting that "Long Island is the third most segregated suburban region in the country" and the home of the a town so closely associated with suburbia, Levittown, it provides an excellent venue for planners to test their skills
"The aim of Build a Better Burb, says Ann Golob, director of the Long Island Index, was "to help Long Islanders visualize what our region might look like if we boldly reconsidered how we build here."
Thanks to Palo Alto Online
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Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
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Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
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World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
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Alaska Village Becomes Test Case for Climate Change Relocation
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Amtrak Takes Lead on Texas Central Rail
The high-speed rail project isn’t a done deal, but if it moves forward, trains could begin operating in 2030.
Maine Approves Rent Relief Program
Legislators hope the assistance program will help struggling low-income households avoid eviction.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
