Seattle will implement a process by which neighborhoods can take the Tactical Urbanism practice of DIY sidewalks a step further—by officially approving local designs for sidewalks.
Tom Fucoloro reports that the Seattle Department of Transportation "announced a new program to allow neighborhoods to officially implement custom crosswalks."
Fucoloro notes that the process will take longer and cost more than a guerrilla effort, but the official crosswalks will last longer and also meet safety standards. Also, "it is a cool side-effect of the action that now communities have this new option for creating public art or identity markings right in the middle of their streets."
"It will take some fundraising or winning a Neighborhood Matching Fund grant, but that’s a small price to pay for a community-building addition like this. Because the streets belong to everyone, and this is just one more way to say so," concludes Fucoloro.
Hat tip to Angie Schmitt for sharing the news on Streetsblog USA.
FULL STORY: Seattle will let neighborhoods design their own crosswalks

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.

As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.

With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)