Potholes as Parks?

Writing in Grist, Chuck Wolfe provides a counterintuitive look at what to do about potholes and how they could become "the universal darlings of walkable urbanism".

1 minute read

December 17, 2011, 9:00 AM PST

By Charles R. Wolfe @crwolfelaw

Potholes are a perennial topic of griping in cities worldwide, notes Wolfe, and private efforts at repair can be deemed inappropriate by transportation officials because they may not meet public road standards for materials or safety.

Enter innovation, such as one town in Germany resorted to selling potholes for 50 Euros apiece to fund repair, or the "kamikaze grace" of London's "Pothole Gardener", or a variety of small scale uses:

"Such altered potholes could become the new traffic-calming "woonerfs", [which] make us drive slower, as we must navigate around them to get from here to there, and they are often aimed at increased pedestrian presence on autocentric streets."

Wolfe concludes:

"Potholes could be permanent, in a good way -- which might just accelerate some people's desired evolution away from the car."

Thanks to Chuck Wolfe

FULL STORY: In praise of the humble pothole

Tuesday, December 13, 2011 in Grist

Community / Economic Development Infrastructure Land Use Transportation Humor World North America Europe Guerilla Gardening Potholes Pocket Parks guerrilla urbanism View More

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