Sidewalks
The Science, and Art, of Navigating a Crowded Sidewalk
Like a school of fish navigating the ocean depths or a mass migration of wildebeests, pedestrians follow fundamental laws of swarm behavior when making their way through crowded sidewalks. Alexandra Horowitz explains the laws of the herd.
The Politics of Sidewalks
In the aftermath of the presidential election, an observation by the star statistician Nate Silver about the connection between sidewalks and voting patterns has been getting a lot of play. Robert Steuteville tries to depoliticize walkability.
Seed Money for Walkability: Who Should Pay?
Who should be required to take the first step in suburban retrofitting? The city, in the form of providing walkable, bikeable streets, or developers, by conforming to pedestrian-oriented building standards?
Should Citizens Be Enlisted to Document L.A.'s Sidewalk Shortcomings
Following up on a recent LA Times editorial arguing for a "citizens sidewalk brigade" to document the state of every one of the city's sidewalks, rather than a proposed $10 million three-year survey, columnist Steve Lopez registers his approval.
The Dangers of Walking While Poor
Low income people are more likely to get hit by cars. Kate Hinds reports on the social and infrastructural factors responsible for the disparity.
New York City Sidewalks Overflowing with Vibrancy, and Conflict
Jeremy Smerd describes the competition over sidewalk space in New York, as commerce overflows out of buildings and into public space.
The Once and Future Urbanism of Sandwich Boards
Chuck Wolfe traces the comeback of sandwich board signage in cities, explains how associated regulations work, and offers reasons why such signage should be carefully fostered.
Effort to Make NYC Streets Safer Paying Dividends
Jane E. Brody reports on the safety features New York City has instituted as part of an ambitious effort to completely re-engineer city streets.
L.A. Might be Forced to Fix Its Crumbling Sidewalks
A lawsuit based on the Americans With Disabilities Act may leave Los Angeles responsible for over a billion dollars' worth of crumbling sidewalks.
Cyclists, Pedestrians, and Drivers Clash
With over 8 million people sharing the streets and sidewalks of New York City, there is bound to be a clash between transportation modes. Who's to blame? Lyndsey Scofield says that there is bad behavior on all sides.
Reinterpreting the City Clutter of Utility Boxes
Utility boxes are cluttering city streets all over the world. But they're not going away, and cities should start to try to find new ways to blend them into the urban fabric, according to this article from the San Francisco Chronicle.
The History of Washington D.C.'s Sidewalk Cafes
Washington D.C.'s first sidewalk cafe opened 5-plus years ago. This piece from The Washington Post looks at the history of outdoor eating in the city, and how the trend has picked up over the years.
Planning Sidewalks in an Age of Climate Change
A new report on sidewalks and climate change in Seattle prompts a call to urban planners and municipal officials to take greater care in installing sidewalks in neighborhoods.
How To Build A Crosswalk
Grist points to a new series of blog posts offering step-by-step instructions on how to get a crosswalk installed in your neighborhood.
Adding Warmth and Life to Sidewalks
Sidewalks in Holland have for years utilized piped-in waste heat to melt snow. Now, they've added an additional sidewalk amenity: a hearth.
Sidewalks: A Suburban Battleground
Neighbors across the country are clashing over whether or not to build sidewalks in their neighborhoods.
Road Rage for Pedestrians
Some researchers say that crowded sidewalks in cities like New York are contributing to "sidewalk rage".
The Importance of Quality Streetscapes
This piece from Next American City looks at plans to dramatically rework streetscapes in Boston, and cheers the effort.
The Federal Interest in Non-Highway Transportation
As Congress begins to draft transportation legislation next year, fiscal scarcity may induce a fight between transit and highway advocates over federal funding, rather than the cooperation of the last few years. And if highway advocates seek to tear down federal support for other forms of transportation, they will probably rely heavily on federalism considerations, arguing that highways are inherently an interstate concern while transit and non-motorized forms of transportation are a nonfederal concern. For example, Alan Pisarski writes: “If sidewalks and bike paths are federal then everything is federal.” There are two flaws in this argument. First of all, highways are not always primarily an interstate concern
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
