Pedestrian deaths are on the rise in the United States, but cities have been slow to implement effective policies and road design measures to change the trend.

While the number of pedestrian deaths has been dropping in other countries, the United States is projected to reach a high not seen in 30 years, reports a team from the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at Arizona State University.
Drivers are safer than ever in vehicles outfitted with a number of features to better protect them. However, experts do not agree on the causes behind the increase in pedestrian fatalities. They point to distracted driving and an increase in walking, but these factors do not adequately explain the trends seen here in the United States and other countries.
And a closer look at the data indicates that certain places have been disproportionately affected. "The threat posed by vehicles is exacerbated by road designs in many of the country’s most dangerous locations for pedestrians — mostly low-income, predominantly minority neighborhoods in heavily populated Sun Belt cities, such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, Houston and Orlando, Fla."
Arterial roads in these areas are wide with high traffic volumes and speeds. "Many of these roads, which are designed for vehicle speeds of over 40 mph, are hostile to pedestrians. They have sidewalks that abut the travel lanes with minimal separation and lack median islands or sufficient lighting."
Some cities have adopted Vision Zero initiatives to address road safety, but others—such as Phoenix, which has one of the highest pedestrian fatality rates in the country—have fully rejected such strategies. In addition, the European Union has adopted vehicle safety standards to better protect pedestrians, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says such regulations did not pass a required cost-benefit analysis.
FULL STORY: Pedestrians die every 90 minutes in the U.S., and low-income areas are hurt most

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?

How Trump's HUD Budget Proposal Would Harm Homelessness Response
Experts say the change to the HUD budget would make it more difficult to identify people who are homeless and connect them with services, and to prevent homelessness.

The Vast Potential of the Right-of-Way
One writer argues that the space between two building faces is the most important element of the built environment.

Florida Seniors Face Rising Homelessness Risk
High housing costs are pushing more seniors, many of them on a fixed income, into homelessness.
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.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont