Tag: urban-planning
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The Bicycle City
Book Review In our May podcast episode, we talk about sustainable urban development via the bicycle with Dan Piatkowski, author of “Bicycle City: Riding the Bike Boom to a Brighter Future.” The episode provides a comprehensive look at the cycling revolution that’s poised to transform mid-sized cities like Lincoln, Nebraska, and the growing influence of…
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The 15 Minute City
The latest trend in city planning is the 15 minute city—the idea that everyone should have access to everyday services within a 15 minute walk or bike ride. The 15 minute city is really just cities before cars were invented. Without easy transportation that allowed us to travel long distances quickly we built our cities…
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The Eco City
Similar to my last post on sustainable cities, an ecocity is one that strives for sustainability and a healthy environment for its citizens and is modeled after the structure and function of natural ecosystems. Cities that strive for this label provide transportation networks for all travelers (transit, bike, pedestrian, and cars), integrate greenspace into the…
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Key Factors in Building Sustainable Cities
What makes a city sustainable? To me a sustainable city depends on a number of factors including land use patterns and growth, transportation, building reuse, energy and building code adoption, and green energy production. The most sustainable city would be one with a dense, urban fabric that supported public transportation as well as bicycle and…
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How Older Neighborhoods Promote Healthier Lifestyles
At one point in time, older neighborhoods, particularly urban centers, would not have been considered healthy. In the 1800s they were quite the opposite with squalid conditions leading to a rise in disease and death. By packing several families into one dimly lit, often damp apartment, public health was bound to decline. Row after row…
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Suburban Nation
Book Review I enjoy being able read books that were recommended when I was in school, but I was so bogged down with required readings and projects that I never had the time to read them. Suburban Nation by Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, and Jeff Speck is one of those books. I was reminded of…
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The New Urban Crisis
Book Review The new urban crisis does not have a simple definition. According to Florida, it encompasses the gap between superstar cities and all other cities where success of superstar cities creates high housing costs and inequity, pushing out the working and service class. The growing inequality, segregation and sorting in all metro areas creates…
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Street Fight
Book Review One of the most interesting books I have read this year was Street Fight by Janette Sadik-Khan. The title may be misleading for those in the planning profession, but it truly is the story of a fight over space in the streets. Space for not only cars, but pedestrians and bicyclists too. So…
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The Experimental City
A few weeks ago I took advantage of living in a city that has a population to support the routine showing of documentary films. I went to see The Experimental City presented by the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul that featured a Q&A with director Chad Freidrichs and Todd Lefko, member of the Minnesota Experimental…
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Walkable City
Book Review I stopped buying books after about the third time I moved, realizing they weigh a ton, but after checking Walkable City by Jeff Speck out from the library, I wished I had just purchased it. The number of sticky notes stuffed into the book from reading on the bus caused me twice as…
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The Planning Lady 