The high-profile case of Raquel Nelson, who was arrested when her four-year-old son was killed as she attempted to cross the street with him, and another recent episode demonstrate the Atlanta region's abysmal attitude toward pedestrians.
Angie Schmitt discusses the recent case of a pedestrian struck by a car in northwest Atlanta who was charged with jaywalking; another example of the region's draconian pedestrian laws.
"Sally Flocks, director of Atlanta's pedestrian advocacy organization,
PEDS, says it is not unusual for police officers in the region to cite
and fault pedestrians involved in collisions, even as they're lying in
hospital beds," writes Schmitt.
"The sad fact is that many of Atlanta's sidewalks are in terrible condition; the city had to pay $4 million
in injury settlements last year as a result. Meanwhile, in the suburbs,
pedestrians get cited for crossing the street outside of a marked or
unmarked crosswalk."
"Even worse, despite discrimination claims around the Raquel Nelson case,
local pedestrian advocates have reason to believe the law is being
applied unevenly. Flocks said the citations tend to be concentrated in
low-income and Hispanic neighborhoods."
FULL STORY: Greater Atlanta Continues to Treat Walking Like a Crime
Banning Right Turns on Red: Lessons From Atlanta
How road safety activists passed a law that could make roads much safer.
Atlanta Urges Tactical Urbanism To Speed Up Vision Zero Goals
The city's department of transportation has released a guide to help community groups implement low-cost 'tactical urbanism' projects.
Atlanta Lowers Speed Limits Citywide
Vision Zero arrives in one of the country's most car-centric big cities.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
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