From Dallas to Denver, Las Vegas to Oklahoma City... and now tiny North Adams, Mass. The wildly successful Better Block model has primarily spawned projects in large urban areas, but small towns are starting to pay attention.
In April, students at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts launched "Eagle Street Rising" - a project to remake a street in North Adams, MA's (pop. ~13,000) tiny downtown using ideas and principles from the Better Block Project, reports Edward Damon.
Students in a Green Living Seminar worked from December-April to brainstorm, plan and pull off this one-day event, which is one of the first Better Block events in a small town.
"Students in the class were split into groups to work on different components of the project, including growing flowers to be placed on the street and organizing live street music...One of the most popular features of the event were several 'parklets' along the street, which turned parking spots into an extension of the sidewalk....Another popular component was the One Day Cafe, a 'pop-up business' in an empty building at 19 Eagle St., which provided complimentary coffee and pastries for attendees."
FULL STORY: MCLA students unveil ‘Eagle Street Rising' project to show how to revitalize city blocks
Tactical Urbanism: A Look Back at 2012
From guerrilla wayfinding to future-tising, these are my top five, perhaps lesser known, highlights of a banner year for Tactical Urbanism.
Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path
Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.
Community-Led Initiatives To Beautify and Reclaim Neglected Areas
Explore successful community-led initiatives that revitalize neglected urban spaces, fostering beauty and reclaiming areas for public benefit and enjoyment.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie