A Better Block installation took over the streets of Kenmoore in Akron, Ohio last weekend.
Fred Cay reports on the results of a Better Block installation in the Kenmore neighborhood of Akron, Ohio over the weekend.
A band cranked out a blues/rock concert on a parking lot stage while a hip-hop DJ spun vinyl records on the sidewalk across the street.
Thirsty customers patronized the adjacent beer garden. Food trucks and carts offered sandwiches. Cyclists traversed the bike lanes and sidewalks filled with pedestrians after a late morning shower subsided.
Motorists moved slowly along one lane on each side of the median, with on-street parking on the curb side. It was a kind of temporary utopian version of what the Kenmore business district might become.
The temporary Better Block demonstration, a result of the work of the Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance, took place on Kenmore Boulevard, between 13th and 16th streets, and earned more positive reviews from residents and business owners.
The Better Block Twitter account also took some aerial photos to show the dramatic effect of the temporary demonstration.
A before and after look at the treatment we gave an intersection for the #KenmoreBetterBlock. pic.twitter.com/GgOQqKlJnb
— The Better Block (@TheBetterBlock) September 6, 2017
FULL STORY: Successful Kenmore Better Block a temporary utopian version of what business district might become

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

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions