Urban Planning
Streetsblog Basics
Transit-Oriented Development in Jersey City
Last week Alec posted a vision for transit-oriented development that was met by the Streetsblog commenters with less than universal enthusiasm. While we are on the subject, I submit a vision being acted upon that I find close to ideal. Here we see Jersey City, specifically the two blocks of Newark Avenue between Erie Street and Christopher Columbus Drive. The large building under construction in the background sits atop the Grove Street PATH station, a spot of land that represented an excellent opportunity for high density growth because it was formerly a collection of parking lots with a half dozen low-rise buildings including what looks like it was an automobile service garage.
November 17, 2006
Traffic: A Social Problem Not a Design Problem
Before the commenters begin giving DOT its well-deserved pounding in response to my previous post, I offer this provocative excerpt from David Engwicht's book, "Mental Speed Bumps: The Smarter Way to Tame Traffic."
November 9, 2006
Transit-Oriented Development Forum
Norman "The Human Tape Reco'der" Oder cranks out a nice report on this week's Transit-Oriented Development forum at NYU for his blog, Atlantic Yards Report:
November 3, 2006
London Calling. Are New York’s Leaders Really Listening?
London officials closed the northern side of Trafalgar Square to traffic creating a vibrant new public space.
November 2, 2006
Streetfilms Portland Week: Bicycle Boulevards
Streetfilms' Clarence Eckerson has been spending a lot of time in Portland learning about the politics, planning, engineering and culture behind that city's phenomenal bike network. Working closely with Greg Raisman from Portland's Dept. of Transportation Clarence produced a half hour documentary called "A Celebration of Portland Transportation." On Saturday, the film was shown on the big screen at Portland's Bagdad Theater.
October 31, 2006
T.O.D. in Brooklyn: Turning Parking Lots into Housing
Some reading ahead of tomorrow's big Transit-Oriented Development forum at NYU...
October 31, 2006
They Paved Prospect Heights and Put up a Parking Lot
One of the more troublesome aspects of Forest City Enterprise's "Atlantic Yards" proposal is the developer's plan to create two rather huge, suburban mall-style surface parking lots on the eastern side of the project footprint. If all goes as planned there will 3,600 new parking spaces will be in place by 2012.
October 23, 2006
The Cost of Sprawl on Low-Income Families
Via the Manhattan Institute's new blog, Streetsblog learns of a pdf-formatted report entitled A Heavy Load: The Combined Housing and Transportation Burdens of Working Famillies, which looks at the housing and transportation expenses paid by lower income families in a number of cities. The report, published by the Center for Housing Policy, a K Street think tank, finds that lower-income families in central cities spend significantly less on the overhead of life than suburban and exurban ones.
October 17, 2006