For the past half-century, the automobile has played a profound role in shaping the form of our cities and suburbs. A new book examines the effects cycle-centric planning will have on the built environment.
"Cycle Infrastructure, written by the architects behind Dutch planning practice Artgineering, presents a survey of best-practice cycle routes from around the world, alongside interviews with the people that made them happen," writes Oliver Wainwright. "There is also an enlightening section on innovations, from Copenhagen's conversation lanes, to the bike-friendly traffic lights in Groningen – which turn green for cyclists earlier when it's raining or snowing."
"In their survey, which travels from Vancouver's separated lanes to Lisbon's waterside route, via Cambridge, Vienna and Wuppertal, they ask how cycle highways might start to influence the fundamental ways we make our cities. 'Will we begin to see new cycling-driven typologies,' they ask, 'in the same way that the motorway led to the creation of the shopping mall?'”
FULL STORY: Paths of glory: what might a cycle-friendly city look like?
Research Links Urban Design and Human Happiness
An emerging field of ‘neuroarchitectural’ research is revealing how building facades and urban design impact the human brain and body.
Reimagining Your Street
How to use free online tools to redesign your local streetscape.
Research: Sprawl Linked to Poverty
Low-income families living in high-sprawl neighborhoods are limited in their access to education, jobs, and other amenities, often trapping them in a cycle of poverty.
Washington Lawmakers Eye Rent Stabilization
Democrats are pushing for a statewide rent stabilization bill that would give renters some protections while offering more flexibility for landlords than blanket rent control policies.
Wildfires Devastate LA Outdoor Education Spaces and Schools
The current Los Angeles wildfires have destroyed schools and outdoor education spaces like Eaton Canyon, displacing families and disrupting vital learning and community resources while highlighting the region’s vulnerability to natural disasters.
Research Affirms Safety of ‘Idaho Stop’
Allowing cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs does not negatively impact safety and can help people on bikes more effectively navigate roadways.
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.
Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA)
Ada County Highway District
Charles County Government
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland