E-commerce and its delivery trucks are a big problem for narrow streets, homes, and retailers that don't have loading docks.
Changes in logistics mean more trucks, which has created problems that range from slowing down transit to endangering the lives of pedestrians.
"Because so few of the city’s buildings have internal loading areas, drivers have no choice but to park at the curb, even if it means stopping traffic," Inga Saffron reports in the Philadelphia Inquirer. This is particularly difficult in cities like Philadelphia that have narrow streets, the very streets that slow down traffic and have been proven to be safer for pedestrians and drivers. Trucks can also block sight lines and bike lanes. "Parked trucks can reduce visibility for other drivers and greatly increase the danger to pedestrians and bicyclists," Saffron writes.
There are some strategies to mitigate these issues, "Mandating night deliveries, especially for drugstores and high-volume stores like Target, could not only reduce congestion but also save energy," Saffron reports, but with E-commerce steadily growing around 15 percent a year, this problem isn't going away any time soon.
FULL STORY: How the delivery economy is disrupting Philadelphia's street grid
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Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.
Minneapolis Housing Plan a Success—Not for the Reason You Think
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Car Noise Is Killing Us
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Houston Bike Summit Makes In-Person Return
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Austin’s Transit CEO Moving to D.C.
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City of Malibu
EMC Planning Group Inc.
Jefferson Parish
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
City of Lakeway, Texas
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
