Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Urban Design

Melbourne, Australia After a Decade of Focus on Public Spaces

By Ethan Kent | Aug 2, 2007 | 12 Comments

With apologies for my carbon footprint, I recently returned from a working tour of eight cities Down Under. The trip included an invitation to Melbourne to work with the staff of the city’s successful new public space development, Federation Square, and to help lead a Placemaking training course that included many city staff, local developers […]

Famed Danish Urbanist Jan Gehl in Town to Consult on PlaNYC

By Alex Marshall | Aug 2, 2007 | 8 Comments

The Urbanist Musketeers: Alex Garvin, Jan Gehl and Fred Kent in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sept. 30, 2006. Jan Gehl, the famed Danish urbanist, is in New York City this week where, sources say, he has been hired as a consultant for Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC program. At a presentation to the board of the Regional Plan Association […]

The Suburbanist Paradox

By Jason Varone | Jul 6, 2007 | 13 Comments

The Atlantic Monthly’s Matthew Yglesias argues that high-density living is a key strategy to fight climate change. Yglesias takes issue with fellow Atlantic Online blogger Ross Douthat and author Joel Kotkin, who defend suburban sprawl — what James Kunstler has famously called "the most destructive development pattern the world has ever seen, and perhaps the […]

DOT: Bergtraum to CUNY, Primeggia to Copenhagen

By Aaron Naparstek | Jun 12, 2007 | 5 Comments

Department of Transportation First Deputy Commissioner Judith Bergtraum, a top aide to former commissioner Iris Weinshall, is leaving DOT for a job at the City University of New York where Weinshall is now a vice chancellor. As first reported by the Daily News’ Elizabeth Benjamin, DOT commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan just returned from a quick trip […]

City Wants 20,000 New Parking Spaces in Hell’s Kitchen

By Brad Aaron | Jun 1, 2007 | 26 Comments

It seems inconceivable given the overwhelmingly positive developments of the past few weeks, but the city wants to increase parking in Manhattan by some 20,000 spaces, and is defending itself in court for the right to do so. The Bloomberg and Spitzer administrations are working together to hold on to a rezoning provision that would […]

The Ultimate System: Free Mass Transit and Congestion Pricing

By Jason Varone | Apr 20, 2007 | 15 Comments

WABC’s John Gambling spoke with Michael Bloomberg this morning. In anticipation of the Mayor’s Earth Day speech, they discussed everything from congestion charging to light bulbs. Below are some highlights from their conversation; you can download to the entire show here. On congestion pricing: If you were to charge, and I’ll let you know on […]

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