A hearing on pedestrian infrastructure in Dallas—which is proving exceptionally deadly this year—reveals the sharp political divide on how to make streets safe for walking.
"So far in 2015, 32 pedestrians have been killed while trying to cross Dallas streets — the same number killed during all of 2014, according to a briefing presented to the Dallas City Council’s Public Safety Committee," reports Robert Wilonsky.
The rub: some have a difference of opinion of why so many pedestrians have died. "That very same briefing, prepared and presented by Dallas police and the Department of Street Services, maintains that 24 of this year’s fatalities were caused when a pedestrian failed to yield to a vehicle. And, further down: 'A majority of pedestrian fatalities in the City are due to pedestrian error.'"
On the other side of the argument is Council member Philip Kingston, who says "pedestrians aren’t to blame when they get run over. It’s 'the infrastructure that places the pedestrian in harm’s way' that’s to blame. 'It’s not people being stupid,' he said. Beat. 'Occasionally, sure.' But not always. Not most of the time."
FULL STORY: As fatalities rise, says Philip Kingston, Dallas must stop ‘building streets that hurt pedestrians’
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.
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.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
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.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.