Safety
A Tree Grows in Pigeon Town
I don’t know what it is about New Orleans that makes me wax rhapsodic. But something about the city makes everyday life look poetic. I returned to the Crescent City last week after having last visited just seven months ago, when a tree planting
Probing the False Sense of Security in Gated Communities
Edward Blakely, co-author of “Fortress America: Gated Communities in the United States,” pens an opinion piece for The Washington Post looking at the detrimental psychology that exists in gated communities such as where Trayvon Martin died.
Is a Vibrant City Best Measured at Night?
Chuck Wolfe asks if a city's vitality is best indicated at night, and how it should be measured.
Risk Versus Dread: Implications for Planners; or Let's Not Let The Terrorists Win
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance” – President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1932 This being the decade anniversary of the World Trade Center and Pentagon terrorist attacks, it seems a good time to consider how our society responds to such threats, and what planners can do to maximize safety.
Florida Found Most Dangerous Place for Pedestrians
Four Florida metropolitan areas recently ranked as the most dangerous places for pedestrians, according to a survey by Transportation America.
Security and Walkability Entwine in New Park at White House
Plans to redesign the expanded publicly accessible section of the White House's front lawn combine both walkability concerns and safety concerns.
Bikeable and Walkable, But Room to Improve
Seattle has been named one of the nation's safest p[laces to walk or bike. But some question whether that success will translate into any further improvements in bike and pedestrian infrastructure spending.
Making Safer Streets for Aging Populations
As aging populations grow, more cities and design organizations are looking at how to make streets safer for older residents.
Sidewalks: A Suburban Battleground
Neighbors across the country are clashing over whether or not to build sidewalks in their neighborhoods.
On the Bicycle as Transportation
Accompanying a bike commuter on his 50-mile ride to work, this article from Outside looks at the state of bicycle transportation today.
Cities Too Dangerous for Kids? Maybe Not
Cities are commonly thought of as dangerous places for kids to grow up. But a new study challenges that perception.
Three Types of Cyclists
A study of cyclists in Ashland, Oregon has found three distinct types of bike riders, the majority of which are interesting in riding, but concerned about safety issues.
Making a Safer Multi-Use Path
Pathways that are used by cyclists and pedestrians have shown a high rate of collisions. Some say the regulations for these multi-use paths should be updated.
The Fear of Transit
Fear of crime and uncertainty about safety keep many people from using public transit, according to a new study. But how should transit agencies react?
The 'Negligible' Building Safety Benefit of Helipads
In the second part of a series looking at codes in L.A. that require tall buildings to have flat roofs for helicopter landing, Curbed LA discusses a new building that has been exempted from the code and whether more are likely to follow.
Evolving Tech Takes the Pulse of Bridges
With infrastructure aging, technology is increasingly relied upon to assess the safety of bridges. Many places are finding that simple monitoring devices can help save money.
Bike Lanes Make Streets Safer for Pedestrians
A new study from the New York City Department of Transportation shows that streets with painted bike lanes are 40% less dangerous for pedestrians, among other findings.
Cyclists and Elderly Also At Risk on New York City's Streets
New York City's broad study of years of traffic and crash data have given new insight to the city's transportation safety problems. Cyclists and the elderly are especially vulnerable, according to the report.
Beyond the Trail
A recent Planetizen interview on the relationship between park space and active living got me thinking about what spaces inspire physical activity and what spaces discourage it. In my old apartment complex, the indoor fitness centers were jammed while the nearby riverside walking trails were desolate, despite nearly perfect year-round weather. Why? The trails were perceived as unsafe because they were completely isolated from view.
Women Feel Safer in Mumbai
A study in India has shown that more women gather in public spaces in Mumbai than any other city in the country, even though free and open access continues to be a problem.
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.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
