Pedestrian Planning

As New York City prepares to pedestrianize Times Square, New York Magazine profiles Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, who they call "equal parts Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses."

May 22, 2009 - New York Magazine

Planetizen has teamed up with National Journal, a weekly politics and policy magazine, to explore transportation issues. As part of National Journal's Transportation Experts blog, we've asked Planetizen Interchange bloggers and National Journal's Transportation Experts whether money from the Highway Trust Fund should be used for non-highway projects like bike lanes and pedestrian walkways.

May 4, 2009 - Planetizen

Blogger S.G.Narayanamurthy reports from Bangalore on the continuing problems with obstructions to the streetscape from vendors, cafes, mechanics, parking, waste water, construction, etc. The story includes a slideshow.

September 22, 2008 - Citizen Matters (in Bangalore)

This article from The New York Observer looks at how New York City might be different with more "livable streets".

August 2, 2008 - The New York Observer

New York City's car-free "Summer Streets" events are proving to be popular. A three-and-a-half minute video offers a look at Saturday's Williamsburg Walks event on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn.

July 22, 2008 - Streetsblog

With crippling traffic congestion, the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam has pooled $158 million to improve its public transportation system -- adding new service, stations, and walkways.

July 2, 2008 - The East African

In Boston, the MBTA and city planners are weighing the benefits and drawbacks of creating transit-oriented development along a major traffic corridor.

June 17, 2008 - The Boston Globe

A new San Francisco plan seeks to follow in the footsteps of cities like Copenhagen and Portland in revitalizing streets, alleys, medians, and crosswalks. The goal is to bring the city's outdoors to its 'rightful place as the center of civic life.'

June 10, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

The common wisdom about walkable neighborhoods holds that density – proximity to destinations – determines the number of walking trips. An ideal walking distance of a quarter mile is usually prescribed between residences and the nearest transit stop or retail center. I don’t dispute that walking distance is important, especially when I’m lugging an armload of groceries. However, some trendy high-density development favors compactness at the expense of comfort and safety.

May 18, 2008 - Diana DeRubertis

Go for a ride with Los Angeles' leading pedestrian activist and learn about some of the challenges in bringing change to the Car Culture Capital of America.

May 8, 2008 - LA Streetsblog

New Orleans is experiencing a crime wave. High murder rates in the first two months of 2007 have made national attention. Anderson Cooper of CNN has been following this story. So far this year he has devoted two hour-long shows to this topic. I live in central New Orleans and my biggest complaint about the city is the high crime rate. I don’t think our city will recover if we fail to address this most serious issue. Crime makes you ask yourself – should I move to the suburbs where it’s safer and commute? But being a transportation planner, I can’t help but follow-up that question with – If I spend a lot more time driving will my exposure to dieing in a car accident increase? So which is worse - murder or traffic fatalities?

February 27, 2007 - John Renne

It has been a few years since my last trip to Europe, so perhaps I have selective memory. But I don’t recall having to compete with hundreds of cars or choke down exhaust while exploring the streets of London. I remember navigating through seas of people that filled the city’s squares, alleyways and boulevards.

February 24, 2007 - Diana DeRubertis