Eric Scharnhorst, project manager at Gehl Architects, argues for a wide-scale census instrument detailing city life, not just pedestrian counts and fatalities.
In a recent piece on Next City, Eric Scharnhorst discusses the Gehl database, which is full of physical data on how people use public spaces. Collectors record hourly pedestrian counts, gender, age, and stationary activities within the area (whether it's children playing, people walking through, waiting for transit, or sitting while eating lunch alone). Often, this provides advocates and urbanists the necessary quantified information to push for improvements in the public space arena.
Scharnhorst discusses how current databases such as the decennial Census and yearly American Community Survey lack indicators on urban diversity in the public space. While inequality exists in our residential patterns, how does that manifest itself in our public space usage habits?
In the piece, Scharnhorst writes about how "[the] reason cities don’t have this information is not because of technological limitations. It’s because of a shared resistance to doing the work in the first place. Although city planners map citywide Census-level socioeconomic categories like income and family size, they are hesitant to measure how people of different 'categories' mix in the public realm."
FULL STORY: We Need a Census for City Streets
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Mapping the Pacific Northwest's Changing Population
The Oregonian has published a new interactive mapping feature that allows users to map demographic changes to the Census tract level through Oregon and Washington.
Census: Working From Home More Common Than Taking Transit to Work
A more sedentary approach to commuting is now more common than taking the bus or train to work, trailing only driving to work as the most common commute mode.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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