Local residents are upset with the effects of the placemaking installment in Chicago, opened this spring—namely slower traffic and a polka dot color scheme. An article in DNAinfo points out that slowing traffic was kind of the point.
Ariel Cheung reports on the pushback to the Lincoln Hub makeover in Chicago—a brightly covered, polka dot paint scheme designed as a placemaking and traffic calming facility. According to Cheung, "some neighbors have taken umbrage to what they've nicknamed "Polka Dot Park" and say it has snarled traffic and detracted from the block's historic architecture."
A petition to remove the project's polka dots and bollards is circulating online, with 257 signatures earlier this week. The project is a test of the concept, so future tweaks are possible. The city is also "planning 10 more similar public spaces in the city's plazas, malls and traffic triangles this year, with 10 additional locations each year following, as approved by the City Council."
FULL STORY: Neighbors Are Mad Lincoln Hub Slows Traffic, But That Was Kind of the Point
'Lincoln Hub': A Polka Dot Makeover for Chicago Intersection
The intersection of Lincoln Ave, Southport Avenue, and Wellington Avenue in the South Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago is in the process of a major upgrade in pedestrian-friendly placemaking.
Indianapolis Puts Design Ideas to the Test With Pedestrian-Friendly Pilot Project
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To Protect Pedestrians, Keep the Cameras
Active Transportation Alliance, a Chicago pedestrian advocacy group, urges Mayor Rahm Emanuel to improve red light cameras rather than remove them. Despite complaints from drivers, well-advertised cameras can reduce pedestrian fatalities.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
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With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
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