Local residents are upset with the effects of the placemaking installment in Chicago, opened this spring—namely slower traffic and a polka dot color scheme. An article in DNAinfo points out that slowing traffic was kind of the point.
Ariel Cheung reports on the pushback to the Lincoln Hub makeover in Chicago—a brightly covered, polka dot paint scheme designed as a placemaking and traffic calming facility. According to Cheung, "some neighbors have taken umbrage to what they've nicknamed "Polka Dot Park" and say it has snarled traffic and detracted from the block's historic architecture."
A petition to remove the project's polka dots and bollards is circulating online, with 257 signatures earlier this week. The project is a test of the concept, so future tweaks are possible. The city is also "planning 10 more similar public spaces in the city's plazas, malls and traffic triangles this year, with 10 additional locations each year following, as approved by the City Council."
FULL STORY: Neighbors Are Mad Lincoln Hub Slows Traffic, But That Was Kind of the Point
'Lincoln Hub': A Polka Dot Makeover for Chicago Intersection
The intersection of Lincoln Ave, Southport Avenue, and Wellington Avenue in the South Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago is in the process of a major upgrade in pedestrian-friendly placemaking.
Indianapolis Puts Design Ideas to the Test With Pedestrian-Friendly Pilot Project
As it works to gather the $60 million necessary to implement permanent changes to Monument Circle, Indianapolis is testing ideas for how to make the location more pedestrian friendly.
To Protect Pedestrians, Keep the Cameras
Active Transportation Alliance, a Chicago pedestrian advocacy group, urges Mayor Rahm Emanuel to improve red light cameras rather than remove them. Despite complaints from drivers, well-advertised cameras can reduce pedestrian fatalities.
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.
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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