Livability

Edward Jensen responds to a recent attention grabbing op-ed in The Arizona Republic with his own list of priorities to help enliven the core of the sixth-largest city in the country.

July 14, 2012 - Technology for a Digital Generation

Tehran is known for being congested and polluted, but Elyana Javaheri credits mayor Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf for making the Iranian capital more livable.

July 4, 2012 - This Big City

Julie V. Iovine laments that while walkability is the watchword of the day, architects have to design what they're hired to design -- and that often means designing iconic buildings that turn a blind eye to pedestrians.

June 24, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

Concerned about becoming a "western Detroit," the city of Reno, built around the gambling industry, seeks to shake off that trademark with new investments in other industries and amenities.

June 21, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Zipcar has released the results of their first Future Metropolis Index, which the company commissioned to recognize cities that demonstrate smart urban planning and policymaking, reports Ariel Schwartz.

March 6, 2012 - Fast Company Co.Exist

With high scores in five broad categories, Melbourne, Australia received the highest spot in livability rankings from The Economist's research unit.

September 2, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

A new breed of developers in China are increasingly trying to make the country's new cities into pleasant, walkable and even environmentally sustainable.

August 18, 2011 - Grist

Paul Mason takes a tour of Manila's 10-year-old Estero de San Miguel slum to test the theory that slums have upsides and finds that understanding the question's realities is as important as trying to find the answer.

August 16, 2011 - BBC

A few months ago, I updated a city rating system (available at http://lewyn.tripod.com/livable09) that evaluated cities' "livability" by rating crime rates, transit-friendliness, and cost of housing.   Plenty of cities did very well on the first two criteria.  For example, New York is now safer than most big cities, and of course is by far the best city in the U.S. for public transit.  But its housing costs are dreadfully high.  The same was true of Boston and San Francisco (which, if only crime and transit were considered, would rank second and third for livability).  

July 30, 2011 - Michael Lewyn

Portland leads the nation is sustainability and in fact, may be responsible for starting this movement, but its economy remains mediocre and it is one of America's least diverse cities. Urbanophile's Aaron M. Renn explains why.

July 4, 2011 - Urbanophile

It's the opposite of conventional transportation policy in American cities that places motorist convenience in high priority (think 'level of service'). This story shows what European cities are doing to get motorists out of cars.

June 27, 2011 - The New York Times - Environment

Our job as planners is ultimately to manage change, which is often fun but occasionally ugly. A good example is a current debate over a supposed “war against the car.”

March 24, 2011 - Todd Litman

Columbus, Ohio has been experimenting with zoning overlays, which do not change the underlying land use regulations but add a set of form-based regulations focused on livability.

March 9, 2011 - Columbus Dispatch

From high drug use to overpriced housing, Vancouver has its flaws despite its 5-year strong top spot as the world's most livable city.

March 4, 2011 - National Post

Are greenfield developments designed with sustainability in mind or already-built metropolises better for the environment and the people?

March 1, 2011 - THE DIRT

Australian and Canadian cities dominate the Economist Intelligence Unit report.

February 22, 2011 - The Huffington Post

Urban designer David Green talks with Anthony Lyons, Director of the city of Gainesville's Community Redevelopment Agency, about his successes in the city and how other cities can become more livable.

February 10, 2011 - Fast Co. Design

US Department of Housing and Urban Development sees diverse crop of applicants for $100 million in grants going towards community development projects adhering to livability principles.

February 9, 2011 - Metropolis

Los Angeles is ugly. But it doesn't have to be, argues Sam Lubell.

December 12, 2010 - The Architect's Newspaper

Grist talks with Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon about congressional efforts to integrate ideas of livability into communities and policy.

September 30, 2010 - Grist