A new tool from Strong Towns provides a model for comprehensively evaluating the causes behind deadly crashes and how to prevent them.

A new program from Strong Towns will introduce “a new standard of care” that would take into account a broader range of factors when assessing vehicle crashes and seek to find ways to improve outcomes rather than simply looking for where to assign blame.
“In the medical profession, adverse outcomes go through a morbidity and mortality conference, a process of internal review where all contributing factors are considered. Yes, patients are responsible for their behavior, but to what extent did the clinic or hospital—through its processes, recommendations, environment, or other actions—contribute to the negative outcome? What could have been done differently?”
Strong Towns proposes that traffic crashes should be treated in a similar way. “When a crash occurs, the public response focuses only on a few contributing factors. Was the driver intoxicated? Were they speeding? Were they distracted?” This approach fails to account for infrastructural factors and other causes of crashes. “With their new National Crash Analysis Studio, Strong Towns is creating a way for local leaders to conduct full-cause analyses of fatal crashes to understand the causes and improve future outcomes.”
Individuals or groups that want to conduct a crash analysis in their community at no cost can apply to the program, which will launch in January 2023.
FULL STORY: Introducing a New Standard of Care for Traffic Fatalities

The Shifting Boomer Bulge: More Bad News for America’s Housing Crisis?
In the first of a two-part series, PlaceMakers’ Ben Brown interviews housing guru Arthur C. Nelson on the sweeping demographic changes complicating the housing market.

New York Governor Advances Housing Plan Amid Stiff Suburban Opposition
Governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious proposal to create more housing has once again run into a brick wall of opposition in New York’s enormous suburbs, especially on Long Island. This year, however, the wall may have some cracks.

A Serious Critique of Congestion Costs and Induced Vehicle Travel Impacts
Some highway advocates continue to claim that roadway expansions are justified to reduce traffic congestion. That's not what the research shows. It's time to stop obsessing over congestion and instead strive for efficient accessibility.

Historically Redlined Neighborhoods Have Higher Rates of Pedestrian Deaths, Study Says
The consequences of historic redlining continue to have consequences in the present day United States. Add another example to the list.

Tolling All Lanes
Bay Area transportation planners are studying a radical idea to reduce traffic congestion and fund driving alternatives: tolling all lanes on a freeway. Even more radical, the plan considers tolling parallel roads.

Federal SMART Grants Awarded for Transportation Safety, Equity Projects
The grant program focuses on the use of technology to improve safety, accessibility, and efficiency in transportation.
City of Greenville
City of Greenville
Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps Program
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact: Mobility, Community, Possibility
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
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.