John Hennessy III,
P.E.
Mark Gorton interviews award-winning journalist Charles Montgomery about his fantastic new book “Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Thru Urban Design,” which delves in to the hard-to-measure metric of happiness and how the built environment of the place we live directly affects us.
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UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU
Bicycling and walking make up a relatively small portion of commuting activity in the United States, but these nonmotorized travel modes play important roles within many of the nation’s local transportation systems. Infrastructure that supports bicycling and walking expands transportation options and may complement other forms of transportation by supplementing segments of trips. Several state and local agencies have taken steps to promote pedestrian and bicycle travel.
WhyDontWeOwnThis.com is an interactive map that shows you who owns the buildings in American cities. You won’t find small-town America’s ownership details online yet, but major cities from Los Angeles to Baltimore are represented, and more are on their way. Take a look at the map; you might be surprised to find out who really owns your city.
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TRANSFORM
CALIFORNIA HOUSING PARTNERSHIP CORPORATION
A new analysis of data from Caltrans’ California Household Travel Survey (CHTS) completed in February 2013 shows that a well-designed program to put more affordable homes near transit would not just meet the requirements set by the California Air Resources Board (ARB), but would be a powerful and durable GHG reduction strategy – directly reducing driving while creating a host of economic and social benefits.
LEAGUE OF AMERICAN BICYCLISTS
This year, the U.S. Department of Transportation will decide how it will hold states accountable for public safety on our nation’s roadways. The League strongly believes that the Federal Highway Administration needs to set a national performance measure for safety that includes non-motorized safety.
Based on our experience with Every Bicyclists Counts, there is a clear role for the USDOT and state DOTs in reducing the number of bicyclist fatalities and improving our understanding of the risks bicyclists face.
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PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
Minority pedestrians are more likely to be killed in a motor vehicle crash even after controlling for increased traffic exposure in urban areas, socioeconomic status, and alcohol use (CDC, 2013). One potential and unexplored contributing factor to these disparate outcomes is whether driver behavior differs toward pedestrians by race. Similar to other types of intergroup interactions, roadway interactions between drivers and pedestrians are likely influenced by drivers’ subtle racial attitudes and biases. The current study focuses on pedestrians’ street crossings, as pedestrians are most vulnerable when crossing traffic lanes.
SMART GROWTH AMERICA
American communities are poised for a renaissance in walking. We’re walking more often, for fun and to get to places in our neighborhood. We turn to WalkScore.com when figuring out where to live and our most walkable places often are among the most economically vibrant in the country. Hundreds of cities have adopted Complete Streets policies to ensure walking is at the forefront of our decisions regarding street design. Public health organizations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Office of the Surgeon General to the local doctor’s office are encouraging us to get out for a walk for physical activity and to combat chronic disease. And indeed, we are walking: six out of 10 people walk for physical activity, and the share of adults who said they walk for transportation grew 6 percent from 2005 to 2010, according to the most recent data available. But we are still dealing with a legacy of roadways that fail to account for the safety of people on foot.
METROPOLITAN POLICY PROGRAM
BROOKINGS INSTITUTION
This report sheds new light on the widespread contributions that infrastructure jobs make to the nation’s economy, including their importance at the metropolitan level. Since many of these jobs offer more equitable wages, require less formal education for entry, and are projected to grow over the next decade, they represent a key area of consideration for policymakers aiming to address the country’s ongoing infrastructure and jobs deficit.
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