Recent studies show that upwards of 77% of Millennials are opting to live in urban areas. The impact on the local economy will be huge, IF urban planners rethink how we build our downtowns.
It's no surprise that driving less and walking more can have significant benefits to the environment and our health. Less commonly discussed, however, is the implications to our local economy. Author Amanda Maher reflects on a presentation by Jeff Speck, author of "The Walkable City" and discusses why cities should be rethinking their downtowns. There are four keys to getting residents walking more: (1) having a reason to walk; (2) feeling safe to walk; (3) having a comfortable walk; and (4) enjoying an interesting walk.
When city planners focus on these four areas, cities reap the economic, health and environmental benefits.
It's not easy to create a walkable downtown. The author explains, "It often takes a while to create the momentum for downtown investment, but the downtown is the one neighborhood that belongs to the entire city. The city's reputation hinges on its ability to attract people and businesses to these downtown areas."
FULL STORY: Designing Walkable Downtowns Help Cities Reap Real Benefits
Another Fun Neighborhood Analysis Toy
A Trulia feature offers lots of interesting information about neighborhoods (or at least about how their residents perceive them).
Study: Cities Gaining Post-Recession Economic Clout
As the dust settles from the Great Recession—evidence is growing to support the growing relevance of urban areas in the overall economic picture of the United States.
Family-Friendly Downtown Living
What helps make a downtown family friendly? Safe places to play, safe streets, good schools and attainable housing, writes Jennifer Hill.
Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.
Minneapolis Housing Plan a Success—Not for the Reason You Think
Housing advocates praise the city’s move to eliminate single-family zoning by legalizing triplexes on single-family lots, but that isn’t why housing construction is growing.
Car Noise Is Killing Us
It’s not just traffic collisions that kill—a new study from researcher at Rutgers finds that the loud noises emanating from cars has direct impact on heart health in Americans.
Affordable Housing Proposal Faces Backlash in Salt Lake City
A public hearing last week revealed widespread opposition to a plan to loosen density and height limits and reduce parking requirements to encourage more developers to build affordable housing.
Houston Bike Summit Makes In-Person Return
The event will focus on improving bike safety and continuing maintenance on the city's growing network of bike lanes and trails.
Austin’s Transit CEO Moving to D.C.
After overseeing a major system redesign and plans for its largest-ever expansion, the head of Capital Metro will take over Washington, D.C.’s transit agency.
City of Malibu
EMC Planning Group Inc.
Jefferson Parish
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
City of Lakeway, Texas
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
