Each week we will be focusing on blogs from around the world dealing specifically with urban environments. We’ll be on the lookout for websites outside the country that approach themes related to urban experiences and issues.
• The growing field of road ecology brings together experts from diverse academic backgrounds to investigate interactions between roads and the natural environment. An article on Design Observer examines some of the unique and affordable infrastructure solutions proposed by road ecologists to facilitate the movement of plants, animals, water and soils around highway infrastructure.
• NPR reporter David Greene speaks to Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett about the needs of cities in an era of federal budget cuts.
• New York Community Board 4’s Transportation Planning Committee passed a proposal to install protected bike lanes along two avenues in the city’s Hell’s Kitchen neighbourhood. The proposal raised the ire of local business owners worried about loading and unloading in an already congested area. (DNAinfo.com)
• Many urbanists see a vibrant nightlife as an important characteristic of healthy cities. Myurbanist explores some possible metrics for quantifying a city’s night moves: safety of female transit users, use of crime prevention design techniques and lighting as a component of complete streets policy.
Image from Design Boom
Do you have a World Wide Wednesday worthy article you’d like to share? Send the link to www@spacing.ca
One comment
Ugh. The NYC story is way less controversial than is portrayed in that article. The NYC press love to stir controversy, and while some businesses are concerned about parking, please don’t repeat their exaggerations. If you read the article it says that “the majority of locals at the meeting were in favor of the lanes”.
I do find it funny that a the meeting of a sub-committee of a local community board, which itself only has advisory powers makes international headlines. The project is pretty huge, though, and it is somewhat similar to the de Maisonneuve path, as it cuts through the business district. It could be controversial, but over-hyping the small initial critiques is not necessary. Better coverage here:
http://www.streetsblog.org/2011/09/22/cb-4-committee-says-yes-to-west-side-protected-bike-lanes-up-to-59th-street/