It's hard to imagine how the wintry mess blanketing cities across midwest and northeast could improve street safety. But recent snows provide one benefit being touted by safety advocates: temporary curb extensions or "neckdowns" caused by snow banks.
Having trouble convincing local officials or neighbors that curb extensions or "neckdowns" can improve pedestrian safety without taking necessary space away from vehicles? Maybe all you need is a good snowstorm, so that "nature's tracing paper" can create a temporary, but educational, snowy neckdown–or "sneckdown", writes Kate Dailey.
"When that snow piles up at a lot of intersections in neighbourhoods, you see that space where they could put a kerb extension," says Clarence Eckerson Jr, the director of StreetFilms. "The cars still can make the turn, including trash trucks and school buses, but you see the slow, more deliberate turn around the corner instead of cutting it."
"'It's like watching an experiment in progress. It's a chance to learn from what people actually do in some circumstances,' says David Ramos, a Washington DC resident with an interest in urban planning."
To see examples of nature's street safety pilot project at work check out the #sneckdown hashtag on Twitter.
FULL STORY: Sneckdown: Using snow to design safer streets
Video: The Athletic Feats Required to Navigate NYC
A video from Transportation Alternatives highlights the infrastructure failures that can make getting around the city an Olympian feat.
'No Crossing' Signs in Portland Limit the Public Way, Say Critics
In Portland, Oregon, transportation advocates are questioning the justifications for crosswalk closures in the city.
D.C. Transportation Bills to Move Vision Zero Plan Closer to Reality
Washington, D.C., is not meeting its Vision Zero goals. Three proposed bills would put requirements in place to make traffic safety a priority.
Four ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’ Zoning Reforms
An excerpt from the latest book on zoning argues for four approaches to reform that can immediately improve land use regulation in the United States.
San Francisco Just Ended Single-Family Zoning
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to Tuesday to eliminate single-family zoning, but pro-development advocates say additional changes are needed to unleash a wave of construction.
Land Banking to Prevent Transit-Oriented Displacement in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will implement a new land banking program to mitigate gentrification and displacement around future transit lines.
San Francisco to Reconsider Inclusionary Zoning as Development Slows to a Crawl
Critics of inclusionary zoning frequently point to San Francisco as an example of what not to do. A sluggish year of development has some local politicians ready to reconsider the city’s program.
California Senate Committee Kills Freeway Expansion Bill
The proposed legislation would have prohibited new construction in historically underserved areas that often bear the burnt of the negative impacts of freeways.
Initiative Brings Capacity Building to Booming Rural Towns
A research and capacity building initiative based at Utah State University seeks to help fast-growing tourist meccas in the West plan for smart growth.
City of Bothell
Town of San Anselmo
Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA)
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
City of Apache Junction
City of Helena
Gallatin County, Montana
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.
