Separated bike lanes and new pedestrian infrastructure have replaced traffic lanes on a mile of Manassas Street in Memphis.
A stretch of roadway in the Memphis Medical District has undergone a redesign involving a reduction from five to three lanes of traffic. Manassas Street now has separated bike lanes, curb extensions that allow for shortened crosswalks and slower vehicle speeds, and a midblock crossing designed by a local artist.
"The ultimate goals of the project are to encourage active transportation, support the healthy lifestyles goals of the district’s medical institution anchors, and to encourage more mixed-use and multifamily residential development in the district," writes Daniel Ashworth, Jr.
The Memphis Medical District is an area adjacent to downtown, and the project seeks to create a safer multimodal roadway that gives pedestrians and cyclists equal access. The street improvement project is a joint effort between the City of Memphis and the Memphis Medical District Collaborative.
FULL STORY: A New Manassas Street, Safe for Bikes and Pedestrians
Cars Still Rule the Road. Is Change Possible?
The dominant narrative is that streets are for cars and infrastructure that accommodates driving is necessary for cities to grow. But cities ended up this way because of decisions that make other modes secondary.
A Thorough, Mixed Review for a New Protected Bike Lane in Seattle
So many highly anticipated bike facilities finally deliver only to fall short of real game changing status. Seattle provides the latest example of the phenomenon in the wild.
The Billion-Year-Old Curb Bulbout
Bloor Street didn't land on this billion-year old rock; the rock landed on Bloor Street.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?
Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.
What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.
Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie