In Portland, Oregon, transportation advocates are questioning the justifications for crosswalk closures in the city.
"In Oregon we’ve had it drilled into our heads that 'every intersection is a crosswalk.' It turns out that’s not exactly true," write Catie Gould and Jonathan Maus. But in Portland, they say, "no crossing" signs have been installed at intersections throughout the city.
"These [signs] are used to give notice to road users that state or local statutes or ordinances exclude designated types of traffic from using particular roadways or facilities," note Gould and Maus. People can still cross at these intersections, but the signs then leave pedestrians responsible if a crash occurs.
They add that the City of Portland and the Oregon Department of Transportation are putting up the signs, but the closure decisions are being made without public input. Critics say that while the signs are legal, the reasons for eliminating crosswalks are not always clear and restricting public access to roadways need better justifications.
FULL STORY: As ‘No Crossing’ signs proliferate, every intersection is no longer a crosswalk
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
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.