Stephen Snell explains how bike-riding collectives change the story about the use of public space.
"By endowing a place with a story, we change it for our audience," writes Snell.
Collective, politically-motivated rides, such as Critical Mass, "[attempt] to rejig the sense of ownership, to tell a different story about the city."
"Streets can be owned and operated publicly, but they’re only public in the true sense if the public has equal access to them, without discrimination based on desired mode of transportation. Riding collectives subvert the automobile’s authority, and also symbolically critique the economic system by lessening the efficiency of automobile transport."
Read the full story: Justice in Action
The ‘Great Bike Infrastructure Project’
A new mapping project envisions a coordinated national push for bikeways.
San Francisco cyclists push to allow bikes on Muni trains
The agency is one of few that bans bikes from its trains due to space constraints.
Biking in Paris grew by 240% in 5 years
The city saw a significant rise in bike use thanks to data-driven policy changes.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority