Grist talks with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood about just what exactly "livable communities" are and how the government is planning to create them.
LaHood points to communities where driving is not necessary to get everyday tasks done, and looks back at his own home town experience growing up. He also discusses the political viability of that sort of planning today.
"Grist: But politically, it's been a little bit of a tough sell. There are a lot of people, especially on the Republican side of the aisle, who seem to think that encouraging density and more walkable communities is, in effect, forcing people to live in the kinds of places that they don't want to live in.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood: I think when politicians begin to listen to their constituents, what they find is that their constituents are way ahead of them on livability and sustainability, on having cleaner, greener communities, on having walking and biking paths, on having streetcar systems. I think when politicians who are elected by the people begin to listen to their constituents, they begin to get with this kind of livable, sustainable community program."
FULL STORY: Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood talks about livable communities
Ray LaHood Surprises Bike Advocates at Summit
Secretary LaHood praised bike advocates for their work promoting livable communities, and admitted that he and his wife are weekend bicyclists.
LaHood To Congress: VMT-Reduction A 'Must' To Reduce Global Warming
Testifying to the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee on July 14, DOT Secretary Ray LaHood clearly states that fuel efficiency must be complemented with livable communities and transit to reduce transportation-related carbon emissions.
Planning Communities for Children and Families
Child in the City asks “If you could see the city from an elevation of 95 cm, what would you do differently?” It provides a toolbox of specific policies and planning practices for creating more child-friendly communities.
Research Links Urban Design and Human Happiness
An emerging field of ‘neuroarchitectural’ research is revealing how building facades and urban design impact the human brain and body.
Reimagining Your Street
How to use free online tools to redesign your local streetscape.
Research: Sprawl Linked to Poverty
Low-income families living in high-sprawl neighborhoods are limited in their access to education, jobs, and other amenities, often trapping them in a cycle of poverty.
Washington Lawmakers Eye Rent Stabilization
Democrats are pushing for a statewide rent stabilization bill that would give renters some protections while offering more flexibility for landlords than blanket rent control policies.
Wildfires Devastate LA Outdoor Education Spaces and Schools
The current Los Angeles wildfires have destroyed schools and outdoor education spaces like Eaton Canyon, displacing families and disrupting vital learning and community resources while highlighting the region’s vulnerability to natural disasters.
Research Affirms Safety of ‘Idaho Stop’
Allowing cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs does not negatively impact safety and can help people on bikes more effectively navigate roadways.
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.
Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA)
Ada County Highway District
Charles County Government
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland