Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Quality of Life

Rethinking Soho

| | 47 Comments
A Porsche, an ambulette, Paul Steely White, Bruce Schaller and a vendor compete for street space in Soho Crowded shoppers and residents want more sidewalk space in Soho and they would be happy to give up some of the area’s parking space to get it, according to a study released today by Transportation Alternatives (Download […]

Seoul’s New Heart

| | 10 Comments
Below are some excerpts from a fascinating story by John Vidal in last month’s Guardian that I haven’t seen covered in any American media. As the debate over traffic relief heats up in New York City, take a look at how the demolition of an elevated highway motorway the center of South Korea’s capital and the […]

File Under: No Wonder New York City is Falling Behind London

| | 7 Comments
While New York City inexplicably continues to open up Central Park to motor vehicles from Thanksgiving to New Year’s as a "holiday traffic mitigation," London transformed its most popular shopping area this weekend into a car-free pedestrian zone for holiday shoppers and visitors. Stretches of Oxford and Regents Streets were made into car-free zones this Saturday, December 2 from 10:30 am […]

Safe Routes to Schools Study Complete

| | 4 Comments
Walking to school is a healthy way for many kids to get their daily dose of exercise. Unfortunately many parents are rightfully concerned about their children’s safety on the city’s streets because of aggressive driver and lack of good pedestrian safety infrastructure. Everyday in front of many city schools you see parents dropping kids off in […]

Mayor Livingstone: $50 to Drive an SUV into Central London

| | 18 Comments
London Mayor Ken Livingstone said yesterday that he wants to introduce an emissions-based congestion charging fee in an attempt to reduce his city’s carbon dioxide output and to encourage cleaner transportation. The mayor’s proposal is to charge the heaviest polluting vehicles emitting 225 grams of CO2 per kilometer, a £25 fee to drive into London’s Central Business District. At today’s […]