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- Today's Moment of Idealistic Naivete: Wikileaks: http://wp.me/pCprU-mB 2 years ago
- Ending the War on Drugs: http://wp.me/pCprU-mw 2 years ago
- Twilight Of The Suburbs, Now Home To One-Third Of America's Poor http://huff.to/bGZP7F 2 years ago
- U.S. Subways Harness Kinetic Power To Recycle Train Energy http://huff.to/bVsXvR 2 years ago
- America's Walk Deficit http://yhoo.it/dijIvg 2 years ago
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Recent Posts
- Today’s Moment of Idealistic Naivete: Wikileaks
- Ending the War on Drugs
- The Most Walkable Cities in the World
- It’s Where We Live
- Can Cities Feed Themselves?
- French Street Artist Wins TED Humanitarian Prize
- Dimanche Sans Voiture
- Are Brussels and Los Angeles Sister Cities?
- Masdar begs the question: What exactly is meant by “a sustainable city?”
- Is Generation Y Passing on Cars?
- Can Cities Make Us Crazy?
- Stranger Studies 101: Cities as Interaction Machines
- Does New Orleans Have an Identity Crisis?
- Three Urban Interventions in Two Hours: NYC
- Cargo Bike Spotted…
Category Archives: Dispatches
Three Urban Interventions in Two Hours: NYC
Found myself in New York City the other day with a couple hours to spare, so thought I’d explore some of Manhattan’s recent urban planning projects. Two hours turned out to be just enough time to check out the (sort of) newly pedestrianized Times Square, trace the 9th Ave bike lane from 33rd to 20th, walk the length of phase 1 of the High Line, and head back to Port Authority alongside the 8th avenue bike lane.
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Posted in Auto Independence, Bicycles, Dispatches, Food for Thought, Josh Grigsby, Livability, Placemaking, Transportation, urban design, urban planning, walkable, What if?
Tagged 9th avenue bike lane, behavior, biking, high line, linear park, manhattan, New York City, pedestrianized, Times Square
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New Orleans—No Fate But What We Make
It is fitting that the New Orleanian who tagged this wall a few blocks north of St. Charles chose to quote John Connor. The Big Easy has been falling on hard times for decades, emerging from several Judgment Days of its own with stays of execution if not blanket absolution. Somehow, like the Weebles of my childhood, the city wobbles but it won’t fall down.
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Posted in Dispatches
Tagged America, Big Easy, Crescent City, John Connor, Judgment Day, New Orleans, Terminator, Weebles
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Thoughts on Seaside, Sea Change
I’ve heard Seaside, Florida, lauded as the first great project of the New Urbanism. I’ve also heard it ridiculed as new-faux urbanism. So what’s the truth, at least as I see it? Well, during the scant few hours I recently spent there I saw a lot to like. Dozens of wonderful pathways for bikes and pedestrians that connect everywhere to everywhere, many of which feel like something to discover instead of simply travel. Residential roads eschewing sidewalks in favor of shared space. Relatively tall buildings on relatively narrow lots. Architecture with integrity. Loads of trees and shady places (critical given the town’s latitude). Seaside feels like it was designed by people who care.
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31 Rights-of-Way in Seaside, Florida
To be perfectly honest, I had never heard of New Urbanism or Seaside until I moved to Florida in 2008. The sunshine state is gaga for New Urbanism, and while any planning discussion walks a tightrope of divisiveness DPZ’s landmark resort was nearly universally praised by those I spoke with. Sure, its utopian urban design made it an easy visual joke as the shooting location of The Truman Show. And, no, it was never intended to be anything more than a wealthy resort town. But I kept hearing how wonderful the experience of actually being there was, and after two years of this finally got to spend a few hours last week exploring it myself.
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Posted in Culture, Dispatches, human scale, Josh Grigsby, Livability, Placemaking, Transportation, Uncategorized, urban design, urban planning, walkable, What if?
Tagged biking, DPZ, Florida, New Urbanism, paths, people not cars, rights of way, Seaside, The Truman Show, walkability, Watercolor
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Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland by Rail, Bus, Streetcar, and Foot: Part Three
Portland, like its famed streetcar, is an interesting case. It boasts many of the pieces found in successful cities and some that no other American cities can match. The streetcar. Light rail. Cycle tracks. Skateboard tracks. An aerial tram. Traffic calming. No major downtown arterials. Local music. Local art. Local beer. Great food. Environmental awareness. A history of proactive and progressive decision making. Historic urban fabric. Food trucks. Park blocks. It’s walkable. It’s bikable. There is much to like in Portland, and the hype is not all smoke and mirrors.
But…
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Posted in Auto Independence, Culture, Dispatches, Josh Grigsby, Livability, Portland: City or Scene?, Rants, transit, Transportation, Uncategorized, walkable
Tagged 21st Ave, 23rd Ave, Ace Hotel, aerial tram, Alberta, ambient noise, bicycle, bikable, bus, Canada, City of Roses, city or scene, community hub, creative class, creative economy, cycle track, Disney World, Division, Downtown Portland, economic drivers, environmental awareness, fareless square, food trucks, foot power, Hawthorne, hipster, historic urban fabric, homogeneity, Hostelling International, hostels, Japanese gardens, Kennedy School, Living Room Theatre, local art, local beer, local music, lofts, Main Street USA, major employers, MAX light rail, McMenamins, Northeast Portland, Northwest Portland, Old Town, pacific northwest, Park Blocks, Pearl District, portland, Portland Northwest Hostel, Portland State University, Portlandizing, Powell's City of Books, progressive, rail, seattle, skateboard track, Southeast Portland, streetcar, Stump City, suburban neighborhoods, traffic calming, transit, two hundred foot blocks, urban condition, urban core, urban planning, vancouver, walkable, walking, Washington Park, well-educated waitstaff, Willamette River
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