A pair of very different stories offers insight into the urban lives of animals.
Brian Holler reported recently that the Canal & River Trust is installing "duck lanes" in London, Birmingham, and Manchester to provide ducks their own safe passage along local waterways. "The temporary spray-painted sections are designed as a light-hearted way to highlight the narrowness of the lanes, and to promote consideration of the feathered friends," according to Holler. "It is hoped by raising awareness for cyclists, walkers and birds safely sharing the restrictive pathways, the animals will feel comfortable to patter up and down the banks as they please."
Jude Isabella writes a separate article about how city life makes raccoons smarter, opening with anecdotes about the savvy behavior or scavenging raccoons in Toronto. A growing body of research, however, suggests that city raccoons are smarter than rural raccoons. Isabella writes: "Suzanne MacDonald, a comparative psychologist who studies raccoon behavior at York University in Toronto, has compared the problem-solving skills of rural and city raccoons. The result? Urbanites trump their country cousins in both intelligence and ability."
The City Strikes Back from Nautilus on Vimeo.
FULL STORY: Ducks Officially Have Their Own Duck Lanes Near London’s Canal Walkways
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
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.
AI Traffic Management Comes to Dallas-Fort Worth
Several Texas cities are using an AI-powered platform called NoTraffic to help manage traffic signals to increase safety and improve traffic flow.
Podcast: Addressing the Root Causes of Transit Violence
Deploying transit police is a short-term fix. How can transit agencies build sustainable safety efforts?
Minneapolis as a Model for Housing Affordability
Through a combination of policies, the city has managed to limit the severity of the nationwide housing crisis.
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
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.