Getting transportation professionals to think about including pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users is a key first step in creating great places and livable communities. Thank “complete streets” movement, which has taken the U.S. by storm.
Gary Toth explains that there are three rules that should be taken into consideration when creating a public space.
Rule One: Think of Streets as Public Spaces
"Roads can be shared spaces, with pedestrian refuges, bike lanes, and on-street parking. Parking lots can become public markets on weekends. Even major urban arterials can be designed to provide for dedicated bus lanes, well-designed bus stops that serve as gathering places, and multimodal facilities for bus rapid transit or other forms of travel."
Rule Two: Plan for Community Outcomes
"Communities need to first envision what kinds of places and interactions they want to support, then plan a transportation system consistent with this collective community vision."
Rule Three: Design for Appropriate Speeds
"Streets need to be designed in a way that induces traffic speeds appropriate for that particular context. ...Speed kills the sense of place. Cities and town centers are destinations, not raceways, and commerce needs traffic - foot traffic.
FULL STORY: Are Complete Streets Incomplete?

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

Sacramento Leads Nation With Bus-Mounted Bike Lane Enforcement Cameras
The city is the first to use its bus-mounted traffic enforcement system to cite drivers who park or drive in bike lanes.

Seattle Voters Approve Social Housing Referendum
Voters approved a corporate tax to fund the city’s housing authority despite an opposition campaign funded by Amazon and Microsoft.

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.
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