It's almost Halloween, and that means it's time to celebrate America's most important holiday by dressing up in a silly costume. But what's that? Tired of culturally relevant costumes? Don't want the general public to have any idea what you are? Prefer a drawn-out, interest-losing explanation of an obscure and wonky costume concept? Then you're in luck, because I happily present the second edition list of the best urban planning costume ideas.
Walkability
Walkscore to Get Bus Points
Transit stops are now included on Walkscore, the map-mashup website that scores neighborhoods based on their accessibility and walkability.
NRDC Switchboard
Sidewalk Design Vehicle
Thu, 10/15/2009 - 09:13
A few days ago I posted a blog that discussed the concept of Universal Design (transportation facilities designed to accommodate all possible users, including those with disabilities and other special needs) and the value it provides to individuals and communities. One way to approach this issue is to define the design vehicle for pedestrian facilities.
El Paso to Walk the Walk
Citing a recent study that demonstrates higher home values in walkable neighborhoods, officials in El Paso say it's time to change the way their city grows.
El Paso Times
Study Shows TND Encourages Walking
Orenco Station in Portland, OR shows that traditional neighborhood development (TND) can decrease car use and encourage walking, according to a new study.
New Urban News
Residential Infill, 70's-Style
Tue, 08/25/2009 - 14:00
In 1979, the City of San Diego launched a plan to steer new development into the craftsman-lined neighborhoods close to downtown. The idea was sound: scatter higher density housing throughout existing smart growth communities.
Can Local Stores Have An Impact on Global Warming?
A revival of small, neighborhood retailers could be an important strategy for countering climate change, enticing people to run errands without driving their cars.
Grist Magazine
Houston To Require Better Walkability Around Transit Stations
City officials in Houston have unanimously approved zoning and policy changes that will encourage walkable development around the city's expanding light rail network.
The Houston Chronicle
Better Walkability, Higher Value
A recent study finds a correlation between a neighborhood's walkability and its home values.
Inman News
Recasting the Station as the Neighborhood Nucleus
Zoning changes around the train station in New Carrollton, Maryland seek to redefine the city into a more vibrant, walkable area. The changes have received preliminary approval.
The Washington Post
Can "Walkable" and "Bucolic" Go Hand in Hand?
There is controversy over new sidewalk laws in Washington, DC.
The Washington Post
Rethinking the Street Space: Evolving Life in the Streets
For more than 100 years, street design policy was stagnant. But now, planners and policymakers are expanding their ideas about what streets can be. In the second part of their series on streets, Amber Hawkes and Georgia Sheridan examine the history of street design -- and look to the future.
Pedestrian Traffic Discouraged in Oklahoma City
Not only is walking in Oklahoma City not encouraged, it's actually discouraged with public policy, says an urban design consultant.
News OK
Shopping: An ‘Obnoxious Industrial Activity’?
Sat, 05/30/2009 - 13:27
As James Howard Kunstler points out in Home From Nowhere, one of the tragedies of single-use zoning is that it branded shopping as an “obnoxious industrial activity that must be kept separate from houses”. Ironically, the places where most Americans shop today come pretty close to “obnoxious” and “industrial”.
Comparing the Fates of Two Exurbs
Reporter Ben Adler travels to Leesburg, VA without a car and reports on the difficulties he experiences getting around. In comparison, Ben walks with ease around Kentlands, a New Urbanist development in Maryland.
The American Prospect
Should Fuel Taxes Pay For Alternative Transportation?
Planetizen has teamed up with National Journal, a weekly politics and policy magazine, to explore transportation issues. As part of National Journal's Transportation Experts blog, we've asked Planetizen Interchange bloggers and National Journal's Transportation Experts whether money from the Highway Trust Fund should be used for non-highway projects like bike lanes and pedestrian walkways.
Amenities Key to Walking, Fitness
People who live within walking distance of amenities like stores, transit stops, and parks are twice as likely to be fit as those who don't, according to a new study conducted by researchers at San Diego State University.
Gant Daily
Inside a 20-Minute City
This piece from Worldchanging looks at the Seattle-area city of Ballard. It's a "20-minute city", where people can get to practically everything they'd want or need to within a 20-minute walk.
WorldChanging
OK City Not OK for Walking
Jeff Speck takes a walk in Oklahoma City and finds too-wide streets, too-low density and too much danger for pedestrians.
The Oklahoman
Directing Raleigh's Future
A new comprehensive plan being released in Raleigh has many -- both in and out of the city -- wondering what's the best way to grow in the post-sprawl world.
Raleigh Durham Independent Weekly
