CNU Salons
Buffalo City Council Unanimous in Opposing the Expansion of Waterfront Highway, Local Groups Form Buffalo Waterfront Coalition
Submitted by crandell on Thu, 10/18/2007 - 5:18pmCNU's effort to enable urbanism on Buffalo's downtown waterfront continues to build momentum. This week, the Buffalo City Council asked the State to delay the awarding of construction contracts that would maintain the embanked Route 5 freeway and expand a major frontage road on the Outer Harbor. Councilmembers state that the current NYSDOT plan does not promote long-term economic development because it maintains the main barrier to the waterfront -- the elevated freeway. Instead, they call for a single, at-grade boulevard that would be complemented with a system of streets and blocks to set the stage for the building of valuable urban neighborhoods. Read more about the Council's decision in the Buffalo News article, "Buffalo council unanimous in opposing high-speed Southtowns Connector."
"How will we know when an urban island has evolved into a true town center? When a walk to it is as pleasant as a walk in it."
Submitted by crandell on Thu, 10/18/2007 - 4:06pmRuss Sikes, founding member of the CNU North Texas Chapter writes in the Dallas Morning News about the need to provide better connectivity between islands of New Urbanism and surrounding suburban development.
Debunking Cato (again)
Submitted by paytonc on Tue, 10/16/2007 - 4:43pmIn an October 16 commentary titled Lightrail in Portland Is Successful, Notwithstanding CATO Criticism & FTA Lack of Support, Free Congress Foundation Chairman & CEO Paul M. Weyrich offers another perspective on Randal O'Toole's recent CATO Institute attack on land use and transportation policies in the Portland area. (See Debunking Cato for more background.) Weyrich stresses that light rail, unlike the bus systems favored by O'Toole and others, moves more passengers and offers much greater potential for private transit oriented development.
Death and Destruction: My Commute From Work This Morning. Story and Photos
Submitted by Michael McAteer on Sat, 10/13/2007 - 9:57pm"At least two people died and 10 were injured in a fiery multi-vehicle crash in an Interstate 5 tunnel south of Santa Clarita late Friday, closing the freeway in both directions until at least Tuesday
Rethinking Green: Blockbuster Report in Environmental Building News Measures Impact of "Driving to Green Buildings"
Submitted by mackean on Fri, 10/12/2007 - 3:04pmThe Nobel Committee’s decision to award this year’s Peace Prize for environmental activism reminds us that the environment has become a pressing political topic in recent years. The critical question is what kind of practical changes such publicity about global warming will affect.
London Transportation Summit to Offer Program on Contemporary International Street Design
Submitted by tbellino on Mon, 10/08/2007 - 2:48pmAs part of CNU's 2007 Transportation Summit in London, there will be a comparison of three different street design manuals from three different countries: The United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. In addition to providing new and valuable information, the program can count as AIA Continuing Education Credits.
McKibben on Global Warming, and (New) Urbanism
Submitted by mackean on Mon, 10/01/2007 - 12:48amBill McKibben's recent reviews from the New York Review of Books suggest New Urbanism's potential role in the fight against global warming.
Austin, Texas Emerges as America's Greenest Big City
Submitted by tbellino on Fri, 09/28/2007 - 1:55pmIn a recent Chicago Tribune front page article, writer Howard Witt details the Texas capital's rigourous efforts to curb climate change and set an example for cities around the world.
The grand design for Philadelphia's Delaware River waterfront: Help Philadelphians reconnect with their river.
Submitted by Michael McAteer on Mon, 09/24/2007 - 7:07pmThe plan's biggest idea - and easily the most controversial - is the Penn Praxis recommendation to march the city's street grid right down to the river. In voicing his strong support,Democratic mayoral nominee Michael Nutter calls for "a more urban, Philadelphia-style feeling along the water."
Call for Submissions: Connecting Active Living Research to Policy Solutions
Submitted by crandell on Tue, 09/18/2007 - 2:51pmActive Living Research forwarded CNU the following announcement. New Urbanism has a lot to contribute to the public health discussion, so if you're doing relevant research, please consider sharing it with ALR.