10 Urban Trends to Leave Behind with 2012

While many of the trends discussed by the writers have been with us for several years, if not decades, there's always hope that the new perspective brought by the new year will bring elected officials, public agencies, the courts, planners, and guerrilla urbanists to their senses. Below are just a couple of the smart suggestions to help "stop the (urbanism) madness and start getting real in 2013."

Sara Johnson targets "fancy" bike lanes: "There are ideas to heat, elevate, and elaborately paint bike lanes. What we really need are consistent and safe networks of lanes, not flourishes and finishing touches before we've completed the system. (See this list of what bikers really want.)"

Amanda Erickson bares her claws for what has to be the snuggliest trend in guerrilla urbanism - yarn bombing: "We're all for beautifying public spaces. But yarn bombing is little more than a nuisance. It gets wet and grimy after the first rain storm, insulating perfectly functional handrails and bike racks in a tube of mildew and mold. And for what -- covering up perfectly attractive tree trunks with twee stripes? Do trees really need to be any more beautiful?"

Is there a trendy term, practice, or policy you think has outlived its usefulness? Let us know in the comments below.