Pedestrian infrastructure

Pedestrian Infrastructure

Resources for Safe, Convenient Pedestrian and Bike Infrastructure

Despite the stated goals of state and federal agencies to encourage active modes of transportation, there's still a long way to go to make sure that all cities and communities have safe, convenient sidewalks and bike lanes.

January 17, 2021 - National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine

New Orleans

New Orleans Planning a Pedestrian-Friendly Makeover of the French Quarter

Pedestrian improvements are planned as an economic development opportunity in one of the most pedestrian-friendly places in the entire country—the French Quarter of New Orleans.

December 7, 2020 - WDSU

Children Walking To School

'Pedestrians First' Measures Walkability for Babies, Toddlers, Caregivers, Everyone

The ITDP's new Pedestrians First tool describes why and how to improve walking conditions, and provides comprehensive analysis of walkability for 1000 cities.

October 16, 2020 - Pedestrians First

Car-Centric Planning

4 Urban Planning Fails We Need to Correct in 2020

Here are four urban planning fails that should be near the top of the list as professionals assess what to address in 2020 and 2021.

September 25, 2020 - Devin Partida

Portland, Oregon

Portland Transit Station to Get Multi-Modal Mixed-Use Overhaul

The regional transit agency for Portland, Oregon is working on a development plan that would drastically multiple the planning considerations at a local transit station.

September 1, 2020 - Bike Portland

Street Fiori Oscuri

Milan Commits to a Less Car-Centric New Normal

Milan is making changes to its streets to ensure that the city's residents and employment base don't overwhelm the city with new automobile traffic when the city reopens for business.

April 22, 2020 - The Guardian

Sidewalk

For Social Distancing, Sidewalk Design Falls Short

Narrow sidewalks and pathways mean that people cannot realistically stay far enough apart.

April 5, 2020 - Kostelec Planning

Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville Needs Sidewalks on 1,900 Miles of Streets

Nashville builds four miles of sidewalk a year.

February 25, 2020 - WSMV

Denver, Colorado

Plan for Expanded Road Inconsistent With Denver's Values

The idea of road improvement catering only to cars and congestion didn't pass muster on Quebec Street in Denver. A new plan for the heavily used, but narrow, corridor will prioritize pedestrians, safety, and transit.

December 26, 2019 - Denverite

Muni Bus Market Street

People Over Cars: The Future of San Francisco

The San Bruno Avenue Multimodal Improvement Project moved forward in San Francisco despite local resistance. The planning and political calculus behind the project is a sign of more to come in the City by the Bay.

December 23, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Tide Light Rail

A New Transit Vision for Norfolk

Transit ridership in Norfolk, Virginia, has been lagging, and the city hopes that changes to the bus and rail systems will turn things around.

December 1, 2019 - Greater Greater Washington

No Walking

Where Pedestrians Feel Invisible to Drivers

A call for more advocacy by citizens and more action cities in the name of cautious driving and pedestrian safety.

November 16, 2019 - Cincinnati Enquirer

Sidewalk

Without Sidewalks, Making Seattle Streets More Pedestrian Friendly

Over a quarter of city blocks lack sidewalk infrastructure. An advocacy project to reduce traffic speeds and increase pedestrian safety on these streets has evolved into a city-funded program.

November 7, 2019 - Next City

Sidewalk Closed

The Universal Need for Better Sidewalks

The "8 Principles of Sidewalks" guide has been translated from Portuguese to English and is available to download.

October 24, 2019 - TheCityFix

Salt Lake City, Utah

Survey Says: Fear of Cars Drives Scooter Riders to Sidewalks

An email survey of scooter riders in Salt Lake City would seem to make the case for more robust investment in high-quality active transportation infrastructure.

October 17, 2019 - The Salt Lake Tribune

Vancouver, British Columbia

Resistance to Federal Highway Administration's Anti-Painted Crosswalk Position

As the Federal Highway Administration continues its anti-painted crosswalk crusade, attracting new attention at the national level, cities are resisting the notion that rainbow crosswalks are a safety liability.

October 11, 2019 - The New York Times

Vancouver Street Scene

Pedestrian Planning Changing the Public Realm in Vancouver

A renewed commitment to pedestrian friendly infrastructure is changing the face of Vancouver and making space for more density.

September 16, 2019 - The Globe and Mail

Transportation Planning

Seattle Ponders Improvements to Ballard Bridge for All Modes of Transport

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is in the midst of a planning study on Ballard Bridge, soliciting feedback from the community about how to improve circulation of vehicles and pedestrians.

September 15, 2019 - The Urbansist

Traffic Safety Advocates

An Investigation of the Nation's Increasing Number of Pedestrian Fatalities

PBS New Hour takes a deep dive into the climbing number of pedestrian deaths in the United States—now at their highest level in almost three decades.

June 20, 2019 - PBS News Hour

Pedestrians and Walkable Street

Pedestrian Planning in Response to Worsening Safety Data

Faced with rapidly deteriorating pedestrian safety statistics, Montgomery County in Maryland is getting to work on a new Pedestrian Plan, following closely on the heels of work completed for the county's Bicycle Master Plan.

June 13, 2019 - Bethesda Magazine

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.