Research from Chicago suggests that the city’s traffic calming infrastructure is concentrated in the most affluent neighborhoods, contributing to higher rates of road deaths in lower-income neighborhoods.
An article by Erica Gunderson for WTTW News examines the uneven deployment of traffic calming devices in Chicago, an issue that can have a significant impact on traffic safety amid rising rates of road deaths.
According to José Miguel Acosta Córdova, senior transportation policy analyst at the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, Chicago’s wealthier North Side has more traffic calming measures in place than the South and West sides of the city. And while traffic tickets are also issued at higher rates in these neighborhoods, “Leslé Honoré of the Center for Neighborhood Technology says responding to traffic deaths with increased ticketing misses the mark.” As Honoré sees it, “What we need is better planning, what we need are streets that are designed for everyone and not just for cars.”
Honoré continues, “We know when this city was planned and how segregated it is, that Black and Brown communities weren’t given the infrastructure and were under resourced purposefully. And what that creates is the legacy of continued under-resourced communities, infrastructure that’s not maintained, streets and sidewalks that aren’t walkable.”
Read the full story: Traffic Deaths Are On Rise This Year. How Does Chicago’s Segregation Impact Safety?
Pedestrian Deaths Fell by Largest Percentage in 15 Years, but Remain Above Pre-Pandemic Levels
After a spike in deaths during the Covid-19 years, road deaths fell to 3,024 in the first half of 2025.
Portland Traffic Deaths Surpass 2022 Number
This year, 69 people have died in traffic crashes in Portland, Oregon, nearly twice as many as in 2018, when the city began its Vision Zero program.
Traffic Deaths Rise Sharply on Western Roads
The region is seeing higher rates of road deaths in part due to larger vehicles, high speed limits, and inadequate pedestrian infrastructure.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Colorado’s Largest Data Center Could Rise Next to Homes — Without a Public Hearing
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US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Raised interest rates may kill financially vulnerable construction projects
The chief economist at ConstructConnect warns that if construction project owners are negatively impacted by the raised rates, it could result in delayed payments to contractors.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
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