Proponents say cul-de-sac streets provide safety and serenity. Opponents say they are isolating and ironically dangerous to the children they purport to protect. This key American-Dream icon is increasingly in the crosshairs of progressive planners.
This NPR story reveals both sides of a growing debate on the pros and cons of a still-popular American ideal, the cul-de-sac street. Though still counterintuitive to many (especially those that still live on cul-de-sacs for their safety and quiet), new research shows that these dead-end streets are not so safe and serene. Researchers into the dangers of cul-de-sacs find, for example, many cases of terrible accidents involving driving parents backing over their own children, who were playing in the "safe" driveways and street.
Thanks to Evan Lowenstein
FULL STORY: Cul-de-Sacs: Suburban Dream or Dead End?

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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