MyWHaT

Every Friday I post a series of links to stories, studies and seemingly miss-matched what-not in a series I call the Weekly Chatter. It began simply as a way to archive interesting material found during the week. Some of this material would make excellent follow-up pieces, however there just isn’t enough time in a typical week. It’s actually one my favorite posts to throw together.

After quickly perusing the series of Weekly Chatter posts, I came up with this collection from the past year. It’s not a best-of list, as it is more of a “this popped out at me again” list. Other links could just as easily jumped out.

Annual Chatter Wrap-Up

• How place-making saves & expands city budgets.
  

• Needed: a design movement to progress with livability ,including working health goals into planning.

• 3 car garages down, front porches up…Latest Census Highlights.

• More cars on your street = a less friendly community.

• Can Roads Control Your Driving? The Truth About Safety-Enhancing Road Design

• Walking as transportation increases social capital

• The three types of cyclists show, once again, a need for more bicycle infrastructure.

• Study shows bicycling is safe, however we have a lot to do to make it better and comparatively safer…first must deal with the reality:

“Cars are such a powerful industry and such a normalized part of our daily lives that even acknowledging the hazards a vehicle presents to anyone other than its occupants is essentially taboo.“

If I ride

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• Building community resilience without even changing your clothes.

• Percent of Walking/biking compared to spending –>

• An engineer asks: How and who should set speed limits? Can it be changed?

• Those with the most dangerous toys need to be more responsible. Simple.

Sprawl-ville from space: the Big Picture

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• Cyclists as an indicator species for healthy cities?

• Or is it people on foot? Or is it women?

• Cyclists are better shoppers! “vitality of commercial enterprises = access by car” is out-of-date.

• We do it anyway, so why not design it that way. Designer Jae Min Lim mimics human tendency to cut corners. —->

• MDOT director Kurk Steudle’s letter to employees explaining new Complete Streets. ( Legislative analysis (PDF))
  

The transportation world is changing. We can face this change fearfully, or with confidence. In my five years as director, we have faced many challenges, adapted to change, and are a better organization for doing so. I am confident we can rise to the challenge of implementing the new Complete Streets law – in letter and spirit – and emerge a stronger organization, and ultimately, a better state.” ~Kurk Steudle

There’s Nothing Local About Filling It Up

(via Krios Consulting)

Have a New Year!