Archive for the ‘Urban Planning’ Category

The Smart Math of Mixed-Use Development

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

by Joseph Minizozzi

This article first appeared in Planetizen.

Are cities across the country acting negligently in ignoring the property tax implications of different development types? Joseph Minicozzi thinks so, and he’s done the math to prove it.

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Guest on The Infra Blog: Galina Tachieva, Partner, Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company, & Author, The Sprawl Repair Manual

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

Galina Tachieva is an expert on sustainable planning, urban redevelopment, sprawl repair, and form-based codes. As a partner and Director of Town Planning at Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company, Architects and Town Planners (DPZ), Tachieva directs and manages the design and implementation of projects in the US and around the world. DPZ, a leader in the [...]

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Active Transportation Beyond Urban Centers: Walking and Bicycling in Small Towns and Rural America

Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

RAILS TO TRAILS CONSERVANCY
Some commentators and decision-makers have long assumed that biking and walking are strictly a “big city” phenomenon, and that rural America can’t benefit substantially from bicycling and pedestrian infrastructure. Previous research has found that rural Americans walk and bicycle at 58 percent of the rate that urban Americans do. However, the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) tell a different story.

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Biking and Walking in the United States: 2012 Benchmarking Report

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

ALLIANCE FOR BIKING AND WALKING
Government officials working to promote bicycling and walking need data to evaluate their efforts. In order to improve something, there must be a means to measure it. The Alliance for Biking & Walking’s Benchmarking Project is an ongoing effort to collect and analyze data on bicycling and walking in all 50 states and the 51 largest cities. This is the third biennial BenchmarkingReport. The first report was published in 2007, the second in 2010, and the next report is scheduled for January 2014.

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The Impact of Residential Growth Patterns on Vehicle Travel and Pollutant Emissions

Friday, January 20th, 2012

THE JOURNAL OF TRANSPORT AND LAND USE
In light of the increasing reliance on compact growth as a fundamental strategy for reducing vehicle emissions, it is important to better understand how land use-transportation interactions influence the production of mobile source emissions. To date, research findings have produced mixed conclusions as to whether compact development as a strategy for accommodating urban growth significantly reduces vehicle travel and, by extension, mitigates environmental impacts, particularly in the area of air quality. Using an integrated simulation approach coupled with long-term land development scenarios, we conducted an assessment of the impacts of different long-term primarily residential growth patterns on vehicle travel and pollutant emissions in the eight counties of the San Joaquin Valley region in central California.

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King County, WA: Updating Waste Management Infrastructure

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

The King County Solid Waste Division is building a new transfer station at Bow Lake in Tukwila, has completed unique updates at the Houghton station in Kirkland and plans are under development for a new station in Factoria in Bellevue.

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ACCESS Magazine: Issue 39

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
During the last half of the 20th century, cities and towns across America were built primarily for one transportation mode: the automobile. Much of this development occurred on the urban periphery, creating the suburbs that are now home to more Americans than either traditional central cities or small towns. Today, while federal transportation policies and urban planners have shifted toward promoting a more multi-modal form of development, the legacy of the postwar era remains: thousands of suburban neighborhoods poorly served by any mode of transportation other than the automobile.

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Great American Infrastructure: The Sundial Bridge, Redding, CA

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

This is the eleventh in a series of entries celebrating infrastructure achievements in the United States. What: The Sundial Bridge, a cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge designed by Santiago Calatrava , is also-as its name suggests-a sundial. When: The bridge opened July 4, 2004 Why: The Sundial Bridge links the north and south campuses of Turtle [...]

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Long Island City, NY: Tunnel Boring Machine Breakthrough

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

This video shows the break-through of a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) for Tunnel “A” of the East Side Access project in Long Island City, Queens. It finished its drive on 12/26/2011 when it reached its receiving pit destination as seen in this video. Tunnel “A” will eventually convey trains westbound into the LIRR’s new Grand [...]

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Aging in Place: A State Survey of Livability Policies and Practices

Wednesday, December 28th, 2011

AARP PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The great majority of older adults have a strong desire to live in their own homes and communities. However, unsupportive community design, unaffordable and inaccessible housing, and a lack of access to needed services can thwart this
desire. Starting in 2011, growth of the older American population will accelerate, in part because the leading edge of the baby boomer generation will reach age 65. This report examines state policies that can help older adults age in place.

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