Friday, September 9, 2016

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

From CityLab — A Quick, Clear Explanation for Why Parking Minimums Hurt Cities


Of all the cities across North America relaxing their developer parking requirements, none can boast a PSA on the topic as clear and concise as Ottawa’s 90-second “Review of Minimum Parking Standards” video. The clip accompanies a larger public discussion Ottawa has been having all year about new parking rules. The existing zoning codes, established half a century ago, require developers to create a certain amount of parking based on the type of building in the works—the sort of “parking minimums” found in so many cities. Ottawa wants to reduce or eliminate those outdated minimums for development that occurs in inner urban areas or near transit corridors, in line with a new city plan adopted in 2013. Read more: A Quick, Clear Explanation for Why Parking Minimums Hurt Cities

Saturday, September 3, 2016

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Urban Planner Sandy James on the transformative power of urban walkability

Vancouver City Planner, Sandra James gives examples of how making a community more walkable, can change the social fabric of a neighborhood or a community.

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Tuesday, August 30, 2016

From Congress for the New Urbanism —
The morbid and mortal toll of sprawl

A federal report revealed that US traffic deaths have risen 9 percent over the last year and have totaled 19,100 in the first six months of 2016. More than 2.2 million people have been seriously injured in that time. The economic cost is estimated annually at $410 billion, or 2.3 percent of gross domestic product. The human cost is harder to calculate. They are the most frequent reason for fatality of children 5 and up and young adults. Much of the blame has been placed, predictably, on distracted and drunk driving and rising vehicle miles traveled. The “elephant in the living room,” the factor that nobody wants to talk about, is sprawl and the infrastructure of sprawl. The roads built to support sprawl, designed to modern safety standards, are contributors to the majority of US traffic deaths and injuries.
Read more: The morbid and mortal toll of sprawl | CNU
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Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Toronto announces plan for 21-Acre
"Rail Deck Park" Downtown

The 8.5 hectare park would provide a much-needed communal space to Downtown neighbourhoods where public infrastructure has not kept pace with development, the Mayor explained. "The Downtown core has far less parkland than other parts of the City," said Tory, stressing the urgent need to provide social infrastructure—including transit, affordable housing, and public space—to keep up with explosive population growth. Read more: Tory Announces Plan for 21-Acre "Rail Deck Park" Downtown | Urban Toronto


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