'Hardened street furniture' could save city streets both from terrorism and the fashion police.
New fortified parking meters, "drinking fountains, trash cans, benches, bus shelters, newsstands, planters, traffic lights and street lights...are intended to replace concrete barricades used to protect many public buildings since" major terrorist attacks. The furniture "looks like conventional urban fixtures, but is reinforced with internal bars of hardened steel buried deep in cement." Proponents hope that "the new designs will help restore public confidence shaken by terrorist attacks," and restore some "traditional beauty" to the landmarks they protect. "[D]esigning with terrorism in mind 'is just like adjusting to handicap and sprinkler codes...[it] is part of retrofitting our cities,' " said one planner.
Thanks to David Gest
FULL STORY: Urban streets getting security-conscious makeovers
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research