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Archive for the ‘Urban Planning’ Category

The Best Complete Streets Policies of 2013

Thursday, February 20th, 2014
FIGURE 1 Number of Complete Streets policies nationwide, 2005–2013

SMART GROWTH AMERICA
Communities across the country are making roads safer and more accessible for everyone who uses them—and these changes are happening on a larger scale than ever before.

In 2013, more than 80 communities adopted Complete Streets policies. These laws, resolutions and planning and design documents encourage and provide for the safe access to destinations for everyone, regardless of age, ability, income or ethnicity, and no matter how they travel.

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Energy Efficiency and Technologies in America’s Cities

Wednesday, February 19th, 2014
Technologies Receiving Top Priority by Cities within Two Years

THE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF MAYORS
Cities were asked to describe their one “top priority” in their own words, rather than selecting from multiple choice answers, the format used for nearly all other questions in this survey. Ninety-one percent of all cities participating in the survey – 263 out of 288 cities – responded to this question, with the responses as shown above grouped by categories. The “All other” category captures several additional response categories, including cogeneration, waste-to-energy, and water treatment technologies.

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Casey Neistat: Snowboarding New York City

Tuesday, February 18th, 2014

Pulled by a Jeep and clad in reflective yellow coveralls, Casey Neistat turns NYC’s snow-covered streets into his own, personal snowboard park.

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Streetfilms: The Power of Bicycling (Get Psyched)

Monday, February 17th, 2014

This has been the worst winter of my adult life. And if you live most places in the United States you’d probably agree. Between the extreme below-average temperatures and the constant barrage of snowstorms, it’s made cycling outdoors a rough proposition – even for the intrepid.

To attempt to lift my spirits, I started browsing archived Streetfilms bike b-roll from all over the world, and I could feel my mood instantly change. We’ve certainly been lucky to shoot in great bicycle places in beautiful weather and that magic of bike love easily translates via the camera. So I thought maybe I should share some of that joy and get some of you to look forward to the Spring with this hasty assembled montage.

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Freeways Without Futures

Monday, February 17th, 2014
5 I-10/Claiborne Overpass, New Orleans

CONGRESS FOR THE NEW URBANISM
Successful freeway removal campaigns are characterized by strong community and political leadership; a decision-making process driven by long-term mobility planning, not cyclical federal and state allocations; and a vision for the urbanized environment that is not dictated solely by the fast movement of motor vehicles. CNU’s Highways to Boulevards initiative unites a diverse set of professionals, residents and activists in advocating for these outcomes and demonstrating the value of urban freeway removal by restoring urban neighborhoods and historic street networks.

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This Infra Week

Friday, February 14th, 2014
Aloha

  Thinking of Spreading a Little Artistic Neighborhood Cheer?Don’t. It’s probably against the law.(Strong Towns Blog) Imagine All the People…Without Cars.Could driverless cars really rule the roads in just 16 years?(The Atlantic Cities) Crowdfunding InfrastructureKansas City looks to “transform one of the worst cities for biking into the one of the greatest with a world-class […]

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Milwaukie, OR: Creating a Modern Park & Ride Facility

Wednesday, February 12th, 2014

The project’s Park & Ride at the SE Park Ave MAX station will do more than provide commuters a place to park cars. It will also have secure bike parking, electric vehicle charging stations and a solar array—and 68% percent of the facility site will be dedicated to new and improved habitat.

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In the New Mexico Tradition: The Impacts of MainStreet

Friday, February 7th, 2014
New Mexico thumb

PLACEECONOMICS
Main Street is a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The registered Main Street Four-Point Approach is a proven method for the economic development of downtowns in the context of historic preservation. The value and power of this approach as a vehicle for downtown revitalization has been proven in 40 states and more than 2,500 communities.

Early on, New Mexico recognized the potential for using Main Street as an economic development strategy, particularly in its rural communities, and established its state MainStreet Program in 1985. The program was housed in the Lieutenant Governor’s office until 1989 and then transferred to its current place in the Economic Development Department. Since its inception, the New Mexico MainStreet program has been extraordinarily effective in achieving its purpose. From its beginning with a few communities, the program has grown to currently serve 27 towns, cities, and urban neighborhoods.

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Interactive Map: The Chicago Commute

Thursday, February 6th, 2014
Transitized: Chicago Commute

A unique interactive map from Transitized illustrates the various modes of transportation used by Chicagoans in their daily commutes.

You’ll see a lot of red on the map, symbolizing the carbon-conscious citizen’s nightmare of “driving alone,” but the outlook’s not all so bleak–most downtown neighborhoods favor walking, and some transit corridors with direct access to downtown (though not all, surprisingly) bring a majority of residents to work. Biking and carpooling are all but invisible at first, but mouseover any area of the map and you’ll see quick stats for that exact spot, revealing that lesser-utilized modes of transportation are still present in significant–if not majority–numbers.

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Charles City, IA: From Flooded Property to Valuable Asset

Thursday, February 6th, 2014

After years of fighting against the often-flooded Cedar River, Charles City used land acquired through Federal Emergency Management Agency flood buyouts to create an inviting riverfront park with a whitewater course. Capitalizing on the river’s natural features to help prevent future flooding, Charles City turned the river from an obstacle into an ecological and social benefit. Members of the community were involved in the park’s design and construction. Riverfront Park is a model of how to strategically use flooded properties to create a sustainable and economically valuable amenity.

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