These transportation planning rules only seem to be simple, their application is indeed a difficult job. But often simplification helps in the discussion and enforcement of environmental requirements. Rule 1: Make every effort to accommodate the real needs of people. Do not forget the children, the elderly and the disabled. Prepare your plans and programs … Read more
When Andrew Howard and Jason Roberts began the first Better Block project, they couldn’t “go by the book.” Their guerilla street redesign tactics did more than just turn a few heads; their unorthodox approach transformed communities. The Better Block Project is simple in form: The project is a demonstration project which creates temporary bicycle infrastructure, … Read more
The 2012 IMCL International Urban Revitalization Award will be awarded for Ecuador’s nation-wide program “The Plaza: A Place of Encounter,” a visionary project to revitalize social life and economic vitality by restoring the country’s historic plazas. Jacobo Herdoíza, Director of this project, will give a public presentation on Monday evening, May 21, at the 49th … Read more
When the weather grows colder, healthy food enthusiasts mourn the loss of their weekly farmers market excursion. There is no need to fret, however, because farmers near and far are providing nutritious, organic, and local products year round. Farmers markets are expanding to provide winter root vegetables, squashes, fruits and greens along with artisan breads, … Read more
One of the greatest challenges for the 21st Century, as stated in the IMCL Mission Statement, is to replace sprawl with compact human scale urban fabric. The solutions must rebuild community, be ecologically and socially sustainable, and healthy for all, especially the most vulnerable among us, children, elders, and the poor. Planners and government entities … Read more
Every livable city has its own unique character that is expressed in its architecture and arrangement of streets and open places. It is not inappropriate to propose the metaphor that the livable city, like every living thing, has a genetic code, or a DNA structure. The DNA of a city is expressed in those architectural … Read more
The gap between rich and poor in the US has widened markedly during the last 20 years. Middle class working families are rapidly slipping into poverty, and the poor increasingly see problems of health (over 30% obesity rates, with concomitant diabetes, cardio-vascular disease, etc.) and social health (unemployment, violence, and crime) devastating their neighborhood. These … Read more
Urbanized is a feature-length documentary film about a topic that interests us greatly—the urban fabric of our cities. The film was created by Gary Hustwit, who authored the films Helvetica and Objectified, two other great films that cover typography and design respectively. His filmography makes them a joy to watch, but the content of Urbanized … Read more
Designing Healthy Communities[i] is an inspiring and essential book for all who care about how to improve conditions for ourselves and for our children in our communities. Dick Jackson, a world renowned public health expert, speaks directly to the reader with clarity and passion, and provides numerous examples of how each of us can contribute … Read more
Walkable neighborhoods provide a surprising number of benefits to our health, our financial wellbeing, our communities and global preservation. Compact development lessens our ever-expanding dependency upon the automobile, one of the leading causes of climate change. According to research[i], those who are residents of a walkable neighborhood weigh 6-10 pounds less than those who live … Read more