Neighbors across the country are clashing over whether or not to build sidewalks in their neighborhoods.
One neighborhood, in suburban Chicago, compromised and built half a sidewalk.
"Sidewalks are dividing neighbors in a number of places across the country. The tension has grown more acute in recent years as young families in suburbs seek to make their communities more walkable, perhaps even reminiscent of the cities they fled. Town planners largely welcome the trend, but amid shrinking municipal budgets, localities and their residents squabble over who should pay-developers, communities or homeowners themselves.
And then there's the more entrenched opposition from longtime residents: the foot soldiers against footpaths."
FULL STORY: Bruised Feelings and Skinned Knees Litter Suburban Sidewalk Politics
Denver to Shift Sidewalk Repair Work to City, Funded by Property Owners
The city is shifting from a piecemeal approach to sidewalk repairs that charged property owners with doing the work to a more streamlined, city-led process.
Safe Streets Ballot Measure Runs Into Unexpected Opposition
Los Angeles's Measure HLA would compel the city to make serious upgrades for walking, biking, and other forms of active transportation, all in the name of saving lives. Its biggest opponent: the firefighters union.
Chicago Could Start Plowing Sidewalks Next Winter
Keeping sidewalks free of snow has historically been the task of adjacent property owners, forcing pedestrians and people with mobility challenges to navigate a patchwork of conditions. A new ordinance would place the responsibility on the city.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.
The French Solution to Congested Tunnels: Make Them Car-Free
Bay Area transportation officials keep expanding car capacity. Lyon’s Croix Rousse Tunnel offers a different way.
Missouri Governor Reverses Anti-Discrimination Housing Policies
A new state law bars cities from prohibiting source-of-income discrimination against tenants using Section 8 housing vouchers.
USDOT Launches Unfunded 'SAFE ROADS' Program
The program targets “distractions” and “political messages or artwork,” and paves the way for autonomous vehicles.
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.
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