Pedestrian Safety

Heat map of high-incident 'near miss' locations in Virginia.

Virginia Study Catches Near-Miss Hotspots Before Pedestrians Die

Analyzing reported ‘near-misses’ can reveal road safety gaps and prevent more serious crashes and injuries.

September 23, 2025 - FFX Now

Black Ford F-150 Shelby Raptor Baja off-road pickup truck parked on Paseo de Gracia street in Barcelona.

New Trade Agreement Could Flood Europe With Giant American Trucks

The new ‘reciprocal, fair, and balanced’ trade framework puts American and European vehicle safety standards on the same level, eliminating European safety standards that outlaw some of the largest, most dangerous American trucks and SUVs.

September 14, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Older white woman in pink shirt and blue jeans walking across Rainbow crosswalk in Key West, Florida.

The Florida Cities Risking Everything to Save Rainbow Sidewalks

Gov. DeSantis has threatened to withhold state transportation funding and remove local leaders who don’t comply with an order to remove painted crosswalks.

August 31, 2025 - Associated Press

Old State House in Boston, MA b uilt in 1713 with busy crosswalk in front of it surrounded by mode modern buildings.

Report: Top US Cities for Pedestrian Safety

The East Coast takes the top three spots, while the South and Southwest dominate the bottom of the list.

August 26, 2025 - ABC 7 News

Wide multi-lane road in Alamogordo, New Mexico with Papa John's and other fast food restaurants along road.

Study: Ugly Roads are Deadlier, too

New research shows that roads that are perceived as boring and ugly are more dangerous to people outside of cars.

August 25, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Rainbow striped crosswalk with thin stripes on asphalt in Sacramento, California

Sacramento Isn’t Giving up on Rainbow Crosswalks

A city program will fund artist-created crosswalks near two elementary schools as part of its effort to eliminate traffic deaths.

August 12, 2025 - The Sacramento Bee

Street scene in Helsinki, Finland with people and streetcars.

Helsinki Achieves Full Year With No Traffic Deaths

How did the Finnish capital achieve Vision Zero? It was no accident.

August 8, 2025 - ZME Science

Close-up on pedestrian traffic signal with walk symbol lit up and Empire State Building spire visible in background.

NYC Pedestrian-Focused Traffic Signals Reduce Injury Crashes by 33%

Intersections equipped with signals that give pedestrians a seven-second head start saw a marked increase in safety.

July 24, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Adult holding hands of two children, all wearing winter coats, in crosswalk in New York City during holidays with trees decorated with lights in background.

Pedestrian Deaths Drop, Remain Twice as High as in 2009

Fatalities declined by 4 percent in 2024, but the U.S. is still nowhere close to ‘Vision Zero.’

July 13, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

View from inside car's driver seat while driving.

Car Designs Make it Harder to See Pedestrians

Blind spots created by thicker pillars built to withstand rollover crashes are creating dangerous conditions for people outside vehicles.

July 11, 2025 - Bloomberg CityLab

Aerial of rainbow painted crosswalks at large intersection in Castro District, Sna Francisco, California.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts

Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.

July 10, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

View down center of street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee Launches Vision Zero Plan

Seven years after the city signed its Complete Streets Policy, the city is doubling down on its efforts to eliminate traffic deaths.

July 9, 2025 - Urban Milwaukee

Two people walking away from camera through pedestrian plaza in street in Richmond, Virginia with purple and white city bus moving in background.

Vehicle-related Deaths Drop 29% in Richmond, VA

The seventh year of the city's Vision Zero strategy also cut the number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes by half.

June 17, 2025 - WRIC

Small silver car driving over wide soeed cushion on asphalt road.

Maryland Plans Quick-Build Complete Streets Projects

The state will use low-cost interventions to improve road safety in five Maryland counties.

June 9, 2025 - Fox Baltimore

Pedestrian holding visual impairment cane pressing crosswalk button.

Chicago Judge Orders Thousands of Accessible Ped Signals

Only 3% of the city's crossing signals are currently accessible to blind pedestrians.

June 4, 2025 - DRA Legal

Wide speed hump on Pittsburgh bridge with yellow Speed Hump sign on sidewalk.

Pittsburgh Excels at Low-Cost, Quick-Build Traffic Calming

The city’s traffic calming initiative has led to a 6 percent average reduction in speeds on corridors with recent interventions.

May 11, 2025 - Strong Towns

View from back of woman and child walking on London street wearing warm clothes with a black cab visible in background.

Study: Large SUVs Double Risk of Death for Children Under 10

New research from the United Kingdom reveals the higher risk of larger vehicles for pedestrians and cyclists.

May 7, 2025 - The Standard

Intersection in downtown Sacramento, California with neoclassical building with columns on left.

Sacramento Plans ‘Quick-Build’ Road Safety Projects

The city wants to accelerate small-scale safety improvements that use low-cost equipment to make an impact at dangerous intersections.

April 28, 2025 - The Sacramento Bee

Bright car headlights with glare at night.

Blinded by the Light: When Brighter Headlights Decrease Safety

Bright LED headlights can create glare and reduce visibility for other drivers and pedestrians.

April 17, 2025 - Vox

Two white garbage trucks stopped on New York City street.

How the ‘Direct Vision’ Design Approach Saves Lives

Designing large trucks to ensure better visibility for drivers can reduce fatal crashes and improve workplace safety.

April 8, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.