A study finds that 20% of high school students cross the street while being distracted by a digital device.
A study by the nonprofit Safe Kids Worldwide find that one in five high school students and one in eight middle school students use a digital device while crossing the stree. Injuries among teenagers have risen 25 percent in just five years and older teens account for half of pedestrian deaths among kids under 19.
"According to the study, listening to music and texting were the top distractions. Thirty-nine percent of the students who were crossing the street while distracted were typing on a cell phone and another 39 percent were listening to headphones. About 20 percent of the distracted walkers were talking on the phone and the rest were using another kind of electronic device, such as a tablet or gaming console."
FULL STORY: How Does a Teen Cross the Road?
'Distracted Walking' Becomes an Epidemic
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.
‘Architectural Epidemiology:’ Centering Public Health in Urban Design
A new book asks, what if cities were designed around health equity?
Index Measures Impact of Heat on Pedestrian Activity
When heat and humidity are high, people are more likely to opt for cars when possible.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?
Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.
What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.
Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie