The long, ongoing project of retrofitting sidewalks and curbs to allow access for users of all needs continues. Project Sidewalk puts the power to audit sidewalks for accessibility in your hands.
Project Sidewalk, from the University of Maryland's Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS), "uses Google Streetview to rate whether sidewalks are useable by people who may have difficulty getting around on foot. That includes the elderly, children, and people with disabilities," according to an article by Canaan Merchant.
Merchant includes instructions for how to use project Sidewalk, along with screengrabs and a case study of his audits of two sidewalks in Spring Valley, a neighborhood in Washington, D.C.'s northwest quadrant.
Read the full story: Missing sidewalks? There's an app for that
Chicago Residents Sue City Over Inaccessible Sidewalks
The suit alleges the city has failed to create a “coordinated, proactive system” for complying with ADA and ensuring accessibility on the city’s sidewalks and crosswalks.
Baltimore Ordered to Improve Sidewalk Accessibility
The city is one of many to face lawsuits for failing to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Chicago Budget Fails to Include Snow Plowing Program
Disability rights advocates say the “Plow the Sidewalks” program is a necessity for Chicagoans with limited mobility in winter months.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
NYC DOT wants faster, more permanent street upgrades
The city is examining ways to build more concrete infrastructure without getting entangled in 'decades-long' projects.
'Something we’ve never seen before:' rising utility rates could strain city finances nationwide
Data centers, climate change and other factors have caused utility rates in the United States to increase by 38% since 2020.
Trump to overrule local leaders, lease millions of acres of America’s Pacific Island territories’ seafloors to mining companies
International law says that the Indigenous people of America’s territories have a right to prior and informed consent regarding projects that impact their countries.
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.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello