A Boston Globe columnist met the news that the city would reduce speed limits to 20 mph on some residential streets with scorn and snark.
Yvonne Abraham writes a satirical take on the recent unanimous decision by the Boston City Council to lower the speed limit on some city streets to 20 miles per hour. Abraham's conceit: though the 20 mph speed limit might be a nice idea, Bostonians could not possibly drive 20 miles per hour.
Abraham reports the results of an experiment, undertaken with Reporter David Filipov: "We jumped into his car and proceeded to creep along city streets, careful to stay below the proposed speed limit." The result: "Boy, was it annoying — to us, sure, but especially to our fellow motorists."
In the end Abraham concludes the driving 20 mph simply does not reconcile with the priorities of Boston residents:
But we are no Finland. We’re mean-streets Boston, our drivers proudly among the worst in the nation (though the science on that is hinky). We deride blinkers, slam on brakes, floor it whenever we can.
For less snark and more objective analysis of the city's decision to lower speed limits on some of its streets, see an article by Meghan E. Irons, written prior to the City Council decision.
FULL STORY: Can Bostonians really drive as slowly as 20 m.p.h.?
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
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.