Some cities treat skateboarders like a plague, and that's a planning faux pas, according to this article.
Jonathan Rogers makes the case for skateboarding as a benefit to cities:
People of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and incomes skateboard in DC, especially young people. That’s a good thing: studies show skating is an effective youth development strategy that lowers crime [pdf], fosters creativity, and reduces childhood obesity. Skating is good for cities too. The presence of skaters adds life and interest to ill- or underused public spaces.
The problem for Rogers is that Washington, D.C. doesn't acknowledge those benefits, with a skate ban in much if the city, a lack of private skate parks, and relatively few public skate parks compared to other cities. "The criminalization of skateboarding in cities is both a social justice issue and an urban planning faux pas," writes Rogers, calling on Jane Jacobs and a case study from Philadelphia to make the argument.
FULL STORY: Skateboarding is good for cities. So why is it a crime in DC?
Local Curbed Sites Shut Down in D.C., Seattle, New Orleans, Philadelphia
In a blow to local news, a popular planning, development, and real estate platform winnows its local offerings.
Skateboarding and the City
Skateboarding is becoming a legitimate part of the urban landscape by revitalizing public spaces and engaging young people and the broader community.
Curb Data Platform Expanding Reach, With Plans for More
More cities are leveraging technology to better manage one of the most confusing and congested spaces in the public realm: the curb.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie