Christopher Hume argues that Toronto's planners, in planning for easy vehicle access to the revitalizing waterfront, will be harming it as a pedestrian environment.
"Instead of rivers, we have roads. Rather than water, there's traffic. As a result, 21st century Toronto is being turned into a city of islands, a series of barely connected neighbourhoods separated by multi-lane urban highways.
We talk a lot about building a city for people, not cars, but when it comes to the details – road width, traffic lights, block lengths, speed limits and the like – it's clear our vehicular addiction is strong.
[W]e have embarked on an ambitious multi-billion dollar project to revitalize Toronto's waterfront. Again and again, planners have told us that access is key, especially north/south access. No one would disagree, but how is that compatible with what's unfolding?
And so we'll have to make hard decisions: Should the waterfront be for cars or people? The answer may be obvious, but that won't make getting there any easier."
FULL STORY: Planners' credo: Four wheels good, two legs bad
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service