Tech won’t solve all the problems of the city
Mobile apps like Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar won’t dismantle public transit. If anything, these services will replace taxis.
Author: Connor Jones
NoVa’s next step: Slowing traffic
It’s a great time to be a greater Washingtonian: Unlike many regions, local officials are taking smart growth seriously. The Silver Line is better connecting DC to its far-flung suburbs, and transit options are becoming more diverse. In much of the region, development is focusing on dense housing and mixed-use commercial space. Fairfax County has a … [Read more…]
Shaming yuppies isn’t going to stop gentrification
Examining liberals’ cognitive dissonance: Gentrification is caused by economic forces. To alleviate its harm, demand stronger affordable housing requirements, don’t blame the new neighbors.
Are regional differences still relevant?
Regional mobility has been on a steady decline for decades. There just aren’t any good reasons to move anymore.
Speech supression could hurt cities everywhere
Police ended another day of tense conflict with protesters in Ferguson, Mo. National political figures aren’t paying attention. There are at least three credible reports of incorrect protocol, abuse of power, and excessive force. The presence of military equipment along with police abuse does not bode well for this city—and it could happen anywhere.
Four ways the built environment affects mental health
Mental illness are invisible, leaving people to suffer in isolation. Social stigma leads to detachment. Contributing factors remain ignored. While we know how to prevent infectious diseases with good community design today, we still don’t know how to shape our institutions to promote mental health.
Unpacking Walkable City, a new gospel of new urbanism
As most of you should know, I only started blogging about city planning recently, and I knew I needed a primer to get me started in the right direction. Last week,* I finished Walkable City, an insightful book detailing the pitfalls associated with America’s urban design. The author, Jeff Speck, owns a city planning practice based … [Read more…]
In what kind of community are you most likely to end up dead in a pool of blood?
The chief question of urban planning is, “How does our built environment affect our lives?” In some ways, however, the way we choose to structure our communities contributes to untimely death. Environmental Health Researcher Richard Joseph Jackson, MD, MPH famously presents his audiences this provocative question, “In what kind of community are you most likely to end up … [Read more…]
The four biggest myths about induced demand
Two weeks ago, I laid out the economic argument for induced demand: the idea that building more roads does not reduce congestion. It is a simple model that uses concepts from Economics 101 to explain the relationship between road construction and driving behavior. Even so, this idea, like many associated with new urbanism, challenges the status quo. … [Read more…]
Public transportation reduces drunk driving deaths
For decades, the message to Americans has been “Don’t drink and drive!” which translates to “don’t drink,” if you have to drive. Reducing drinking as a public policy goal hasn’t really ever been successful. While campaigns mounted against drunk driving have been somewhat successful, it’s hard to imagine coming close to ending drunk driving deaths when, in most communities … [Read more…]