In a debate held on Tuesday, and in a subsequent radio interview, leading New York City mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio indicated he'd like to study whether to bring back automobiles to a stretch of Broadway that had been closed for pedestrians.
"After doubting the Prospect Park West bike lane, opposing congestion pricing, and calling NYC Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan 'a radical' he argued that on urban planning issues he'd come around to a more progressive stance. He even promised, if elected, to increase biking eight fold," writes Andrea Bernstein.
But when asked at a recent debate if he'd remove the tables and chairs from Times Square and Herald Square, De Blasio answered, "For me the jury's out on that particular question. I think its worth assessing what the impact has been on traffic what the impact has been on surrounding businesses. I would keep an open mind."
Except the jury isn't out, says Bernstein, "this is one area where the data is in, publicized, and long-settled. Since the two squares have undergone their pedestrian-friendly designs, traffic and pollution are down, commercial rents are up, and business satisfaction in the neighborhood is way up."
FULL STORY: On Times Square Pedestrian Plaza, It's Back To the Future for de Blasio
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association