After three months of study and analysis, NACTO is providing authoritative guidance on new ways of thinking about rights of way now that the coronavirus has changed the way we live and work in cities.
The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) released a new guide to street design for the ongoing pandemic and the future recovery.
The "Streets for Pandemic Response and Recovery" report showcases specific design and management tools "to keep essential workers and goods moving, provide safe access to grocery stores and other essential businesses, and ensure that people have safe space for social/physical distancing while getting outside," according to NACTO.
The report includes descriptions of emerging practices from around the world as well as implementation resources for communities. The following street features are addressed specifically in the report:
- Lanes for Biking & Rolling
- Sidewalk Extensions
- Transit Lanes
- Slow Streets
- Pick-Up & Delivery Zones
- Outdoor Dining
- Markets
An article by Kea Wilson provides additional background on how NACTO created the report, and shares insights into a few of the larger themes present in the report, liking designing for equity, the need for flexibility in design response, the post-pandemic sidewalk, and the need to balance outdoor restaurant space with space for pedestrians. Wilson wrote a separate article to address that last point more specifically, and in greater detail.
FULL STORY: Streets for Pandemic Response and Recovery
How Oakland Is Fixing its Pandemic Planning Equity Problem
The Oakland Slow Streets program, one of the most controversial developments of the early pandemic, has evolved to become the Essential Places initiative, thanks to new planning practices and a commitment to equity in Oakland, California.
Pandemic Planning Must Reconcile With the Inequities of the Past
The ongoing debate about the role of marginalized communities in the emergency planning programs of the pandemic has now been detailed on the pages of the New York Times.
How Emergency Street Redesign Projects Fell Short of the Black Lives Matter Cause
A leading advocate for a new, equity centering approach explains how plans to redesign streets for the needs of the coronavirus pandemic left behind racial justice as a secondary concern.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.
San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.
Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.
Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions