From public transit to public parks to public space, this past week brought a lot of interesting and innovative ideas in the world of urban planning.
Bicycle Planning
Budapest To Encourage Cycling
Thick congestion has politicians in Budapest looking at ways to improve mobility -- mainly by encouraging bicycle use.
AFP
Creating A Less Treacherous Bike Ride
New York City is trying to make life for bike commuters a little less treacherous by building dedicated bike lanes throughout the city.
The Washington Post
Back in the (Bike) Saddle Again?
While Americans have not turned to the bicycle as a mode of transportation in the same numbers seen elsewhere in the world, some predict that soaring gas prices and increased infrastructure investments could change that.
Reuters
Bike Production Dwarfs Car Production
Production of bicycles is more than double the production of cars worldwide -- and the gap between the two vehicles is widening. Many see this as an indicator of the global shift towards encouraging bicycle use as a viable transportation option.
Earth Policy Institute
Where Cyclists And Motorists Are Friends
To make North American cities more bicycle friendly, planners should look to Stockholm, Sweden and Freiburg, Germany -- two European cities were bikes and cars happily co-exist on the street.
The Ottawa Citizen
Omaha to Create Bike Lanes
The city of Omaha, Nebraska, has announced plans to build a network of bike lanes throughout the city, boosted by private contributions of more than $600,000.
KETV
Rise in Bikers Pushes New York Towards Cycle-Friendliness
Biking gets serious in New York, where the city is investing millions in a system of dedicated bike lanes.
The Los Angeles Times
Portland Bicycling Goes Platinum
The City of Portland joins Davis, California, as the only other city to earn the League of American Bicyclists' Platinum rating.
The Oregonian
The Most Bicycle Friendly City In America
Two local transportation advocates shed light on the plans and policies that have made Portland, Oregon the bicycle capital of the U.S.
Democracy Now
Will Boston's Bike Czar Be Able To Improve Conditions For Cyclists?
The city's new director of bicycle programs has the tough task of making Boston more bike-friendly.
The Boston Globe
New Bike Lanes Proposed in San Francisco
Officials in San Francisco are floating a plan that would add 34 more miles of bike lanes to the city, nearly doubling its current stock. The addition would require the removal of street parking and could take over some traffic lanes.
The San Francisco Chronicle
Why Culture Matters: Do as Others Do, Whether In Eating or Cycling
Why Americans don't cycle in the cold and rain, and why they do in Amsterdam.
Streetsblog
Best Ideas of the Week
Fri, 03/21/2008 - 16:08
We all know there's a lot of planning going on around the world. Much of it is poor, short-sighted and generally just no good. But there are also some really great ideas being developed and adopted, and they should be considered by cities and communities all over the world as instructive examples of good planning. Here are what I think are some of the best ideas in urban planning from the last week.
Making Cities More Livable with Bikes
This piece from the Globe and Mail argues that a bikeable city is a livable city.
The Globe and Mail
Murder or Traffic Fatalities: Which is Worse?
Tue, 02/27/2007 - 12:03
New Orleans is experiencing a crime wave. High murder rates in the first two months of 2007 have made national attention. Anderson Cooper of CNN has been following this story. So far this year he has devoted two hour-long shows to this topic. I live in central New Orleans and my biggest complaint about the city is the high crime rate. I don’t think our city will recover if we fail to address this most serious issue. Crime makes you ask yourself – should I move to the suburbs where it’s safer and commute? But being a transportation planner, I can’t help but follow-up that question with – If I spend a lot more time driving will my exposure to dieing in a car accident increase? So which is worse - murder or traffic fatalities?
