When allowing a crowd to decide the name of something important, make sure to add a layer of self-control.
The city of Brussels recently crowd-sourced a naming process for 28 streets in the Belgian capital, and it went a lot better than other crowd-sourced naming processes have gone since the dawn of Boaty McBoatface.
"The city crowdsourced the names as part of an ongoing regeneration project in the Tour & Taxis district—a formerly industrial area now set to become one of the city’s cultural and residential meccas," reports Edmund Heaphy.
"After receiving nearly 1,400 suggestions from the public, the final list was chosen by a jury of city officials, historians, and the site’s property developer, Extensa," according to Heaphy, so the process included a check on the worst tendencies of the Internet mob.
Still, the jury seemed capable of a hint of humor. Included on the list are lots of mentions of food, one to beer, and another to Belgian artist René Magritte’s most famous surrealist paintings. The latter homage would be paid in a street called Ceci n’est pas une rue (This is not a street).
More coverage of the naming process is available from Jennifer Rankin, writing for The Guardian.
FULL STORY: Belgians chose “This is not a street” as one of 28 new Brussels street names
Another City to Offer Free Transit on Bad Air Days
Brussels is the latest city to provide incentives for commuters willing to take transit in the name of air quality.
Friday Happy Hour: A Beer Pipeline in Belgium
What was once a "pipe dream" will soon be reality.
Satirical Ad Campaign Pitches Belgian Traffic Jams as World Heritage Sites
The "war on cars" and its pushback has a achieved a singular pitch in Belgium, where the national rail service has canvassed the country with a satirical ad campaign excoriating the country's horrible congestion.
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.
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.
Indy Bikeshare System Turns 10, Expands to E-Bikes
Pacers Bikeshare riders logged over 700,000 rides since the system launched in 2014.
Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-watt solar farm with crop and livestock production.
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.
