The room was packed on Friday, June 6th for the Capitol Hill briefing, “Complete Streets: Integrating Safety and Livability into the Next Transportation Bill,” sponsored by Representative Doris Matsui, the Environment and Energy Study Institute, Transportation for America, and the National Complete Streets Coalition.
Far too often, the insanity of minimum parking requirements drive development decisions, to the detriment of just about everyone — a theme best developed by UCLA’s Don Shoup in his terrific book, The High Cost of Free Parking. Another story, as both data point and lesson: Our favorite local micro-brewery gives tours; we went last Friday evening, where we heard a version of this story.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter signed a Complete Streets executive order yesterday, June 4, at noon, establishing Philadelphia as the first city in Pennsylvania to adopt a complete streets policy. It emphasizes the many benefits of complete streets, from cleaner air to more efficient use of road space, and pays special attention to the safety of its most vulnerable citizens: children, older adults, and those with disabilities.
Today in Louisville, Kentucky, hundreds are taking part in the opening day of the second Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference. The conference is a ray of hope in the midst of our housing and economic crises — and an incubator for the ideas and solutions that can bring prosperity back to the cities, communities and neighborhoods … Continued
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute and Transportation for America invite you to a briefing to discuss how the next transportation authorization bill can help create complete, safer streets and more livable communities. The briefing, which is free and open to all, takes place on Friday, June 4 from 10-11:30 in B318 Rayburn House Office Building.
Pediatricians should help work against conventional suburban development (top) and for traditional neighborhoods (lower). Why? For starters, so kids can walk to school again. AAP’s Policy Statement includes this drawing by Duany, Plater-Zyberk. A version of the drawing is available at http://www.dpz.com/research.aspx, Diagram #25. Yesterday, the American Academy of Pediatrics adopted a ground-breaking policy statement … Continued
A new report from AARP’s Public Policy Institute, “Planning Complete Streets for the Aging of America,” is packed with new information and calls for adoption of Complete Streets policies to address the needs of the estimated 64 million Americans who will be over 65 in 2025. Many transportation planners and engineers have not begun to prepare for the coming increase in Americans over 65 years old.
The Transportation for America campaign, of which Smart Growth America is a co-chair, debuted a new site today to help frustrated commuters and travelers to share their awful commuting stories — and learn about the connection that transportation policy and Congress have to the state of our transportation system. Check out the site, share your story, and tell your friends.
If you’ve been around the conversation on growth and development for any amount of time, you’ve undoubtedly heard someone bring up Arlington, Virginia. Arlington is the bit of Virginia just across the Potomac River from the monumental core of Washington, DC that leveraged the arrival of two Metro rail lines in the 60’s and 70’s to renew and revitalize their county into a prosperous, enjoyable and livable community that is a sought-after destination for employers, businesses, residents and visitors.
Governor Linda Lingle signed S.B. 718 into law on May 6, directing the Hawaii DOT and the county DOTs to establish complete streets policies.