A wheelchair user describes what it's like to travel on Atlanta streets and on the city's public transit system.
Jennifer Rainey Marquez is a disability advocate living in Atlanta who uses a power wheelchair to get around. She says as her muscular disorder progressed, she became more aware of how urban design affected her ability to navigate the city.
"In Atlanta, the sidewalks are really good in some places and really bad in others. There are sidewalk closures, missing curb cuts, and crumbling concrete. I push e-scooters out of the way or pick them up when they’re blocking sidewalks or curb ramps," says Marquez.
She also uses public transportation in Atlanta. The station elevators and accessible train platforms and bus ramps mean she is able to board vehicles and is not limited to particular routes or stops. For her, the MARTA system actually stands out in comparison to other cities. "In a lot of cities, the trains are older, the platforms are older, there’s no elevator," notes Marquez.
FULL STORY: A disability advocate explains the joys—and challenges—of navigating Atlanta
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.