After 9/11, lower Manhattan became a tangle of makeshift roadblocks and security measures. Architect Rob Rogers was tasked with redesigning the bollards to be more pleasing to the eye while still serving as secure barriers to entry.
Martin C. Pedersen reports on the redesign process, which meant that Rogers - of Rogers Marvel Architects - had to get approval from a number of city agencies and departments:
"The faceted bollards-some anchored, others freestanding-were shaped by the requirements of the police department and contoured to shed water and serve as street furniture. Called 'NoGos,' they got their name from crash tests conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers, which labels successful trials 'no-gos.'
The bollards are placed on a rotating turntable built into the pavement so they can be rotated out of the way when not needed.
Read the full story: Antiterror Turntables
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
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City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority