Cities and Countries
Streetsblog Basics
Other Cities Look to Tear Down Their Old Highways, But Not Denver
Denver has one of those golden opportunities that many American cities are seizing: An elevated highway that damaged neighborhoods is nearing the end of its life, giving the city an opening to repair the harm.
July 18, 2014
Facebook Billionaire Sean Parker Bankrolls Free Parking Ballot Initiative in SF
Sean Parker, the founding president of Facebook and a major contributor to San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, has spent $49,000 of his personal fortune to propel a ballot initiative that seeks to enshrine free parking as city policy, according to the SF Chronicle. Parker gave $100,000 to Lee's mayoral campaign in 2011.
July 15, 2014
3 Ways LeBron Can Help Get Cleveland Biking
Well, the Decision Part II is official, and northeast Ohio's prodigal son LeBron James is heading back to Cleveland. The most immediate result is that the Cavaliers are going to get much, much better.
July 11, 2014
Be Jealous of São Paulo’s Precedent-Setting New Parking Policy
It may not be much consolation after yesterday's World Cup defeat to Germany, but Brazil should feel at least a twinge of national pride over the groundbreaking new parking policies its largest city has adopted.
July 9, 2014
Eyes on the Street: Keeping Trash Off the Sidewalks in Buenos Aires
Clarence Eckerson has been following our #sidewalkhogs competition while in South America. He sends this photo from Buenos Aires.
July 8, 2014
Bikes, Cars, and People Co-Exist on Pittsburgh’s Shared Streets
Summer is finally here, but livable streets advocates already can’t wait for September to come. The biennial Pro Walk/Pro Bike/Pro Place conference is taking place in Pittsburgh, a city that's shedding its "Rust Belt" image and emerging as a leader in progressive street design with the help of a new mayor who’s committed to biking, walking, and public space.
July 3, 2014
7 Photos Show How Detroit Hollowed Out During the Highway Age
While searching for images of highway interchanges in urban areas, I came across these historic aerial photos of Detroit on a message board, showing how the city fabric has slowly eroded. It's a remarkable record of a process that has scarred many other American cities.
June 24, 2014
How a Massive Bike Tour Inspired Montreal to Become a Bike-Friendly City
Especially in the warmer months, Montreal is simply alive with street life and, of course, lots of bicycling. Its car-free spaces are inviting to everyone, and there's so much art and interactive installations in public space.
June 12, 2014
Memo From Massachusetts: 25 MPH Speed Limit Would Save Lives
Researchers in Massachusetts have concluded that lowering the default speed limit on local roads from 30 to 25 mph would save lives and yield big public health benefits. Even without additional traffic calming measures, a lower speed limit on its own would prevent 2,200 crashes, 1,200 injuries, and 18 fatalities in the state of 6.6 million, according to an analysis of a 25 mph bill considered by the Massachusetts legislature last year. These numbers should be on the minds of New York legislators, who have the potential to save lives with a 25 mph bill of their own.
June 6, 2014
Seattle Opens Up Neighborhood Streets for Kids to Play
At St. Terese Academy in Seattle last week, students held relay races on 35th Avenue. It was field day at the Madrona neighborhood school, and thanks to a new initiative from the city of Seattle, the kids had some extra space to stretch their legs.
June 5, 2014