In many locales, instruments like traffic studies take pedestrian health into little account. According to Lark Lo, healthy communities haven't been much of a priority at all.
For Next City, Lark Lo makes an impassioned case for greater emphasis on public and pedestrian health. "People are not in their cars when they spend money. People who don’t own cars have money to spend. People are the reason that buildings are built. Developments without people are viewed as not being successful."
The majority of U.S. counties and cities, Lo writes, do not require developers to take into account "how their developments impact people who are using active forms of transportation to get around."
In general, the health of people should come before the ease of traffic flow. "Planning boards must demand developers show how their projects will add to the health and wellness of the communities they build in. The onus of the health of our communities cannot just be on individual people to avoid 2-ton hazards."
FULL STORY: Planning Boards Must Put Healthy Communities at Center of Real Estate Decisions
Traffic Safety Efforts Chug Ahead — Too Slowly for Some
Around the United States, traffic deaths are growing or plateauing, yet efforts to make roads safer still face political opposition.
'Walking Summit' Highlights Long Path Ahead
A piece from the Congress for the New Urbanism discusses the 2017 National Walking Summit. The proceedings included the release of the nation's first walkability report card.
Johannesburg's Auto-Orientation and the Persecution of the Pedestrian Majority
You really need to almost get hit by a car to feel like a true Johannesburg pedestrian. That's the way it goes here. A huge, sprawling greater metropolitan area of about 10 million people covering more than 600 square miles, the city is built for the car. And if you're not in one, good luck.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal
The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.
Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification
The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.
Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation
Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service