Likely of little surprise to anyone who's found themselves among the few pedestrians not gazing down at a cell phone on a busy urban street, 'distracted walking' is fast becoming a major public health hazard across the U.S., reports Deborah Netburn.
You're likely aware of the dangers of 'distracted driving', which may have something to do with the 13.5% jump in traffic fatalities reported during the first three months of this year. But recent data indicates that 'distracted walking' is emerging as a public health concern.
According to Nertburn, "The number of people who have landed in U.S. emergency rooms thanks to
injuries incurred while they were walking and texting, tweeting, playing
video games, talking on the phone, or listening to music on headphones,
has more than quadrupled in the past seven years, the Associated Press reports."
"And data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that while traffic deaths went down in 2010 from the year before, pedestrian fatalities rose by 4.2% and injuries by 19%."
Read the full story: Number of 'distracted walking' injuries quadruple in 7 years
Walking While Distracted: Pedestrian Injuries Rise Amongst Teens
A study finds that 20% of high school students cross the street while being distracted by a digital device.
As Texans face soaring electricity costs, a public health crisis looms
Demand for electricity in Texas is surging, largely driven by data centers and other industries, and residential customers are footing the bill.
America faces a 'fun shortage'
The United States has lost nearly a third of its bowling alleys and a fifth of its movie theaters since 2001.
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.
In Texas, data centers are swallowing promised parkland
Residents who moved to Taylor, Texas for a rural community now have to contend with three data centers in their backyard.
How a Chicago-sized wind farm beat the odds and powered on
The project spanned five presidential administrations and a standoff with a U.S. military base.
MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court
The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.
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
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority