CityBlog

May 16, 2012

Citizen participation in the design of sustainable communities

(Illustration courtesy of Julie Stuart, Making Ideas Visible) Today’s post is guest-authored by my friend and frequent collaborator, Lee Epstein. Lee is an attorney and land use planner working for sustainability in the mid-Atlantic region. First, a confession: I... Kaid Benfield

May 15, 2012

Taming the sound of the city: dealing with noise pollution

About two decades ago, my friend Bob – a mover and shaker of sorts in the art world – took me to an artist’s studio in a (then, at least) scruffy area of lower Manhattan. The artist we were... Kaid Benfield

May 14, 2012

'Baseball-oriented development' hits a home run in DC

The neighborhood near Nationals Park, the baseball stadium in southeastern Washington, DC, is undergoing an amazing transformation. A decade ago, the federal Department of Transportation had made a hopeful commitment to the area with plans for a new headquarters,... Kaid Benfield

May 11, 2012

Shipping container "cities" bring creative, funky approach to green construction

This started out as an article on prefabricated modular housing, which can bring the construction price of new homes down considerably and lends itself well to use of green materials and straightforward replication. There’s a multi-part series on green... Kaid Benfield

May 10, 2012

The right approach to green, inclusive revitalization

When it is done well - with inclusion, affordability, environmental and cultural sensitivity, and attention to great placemaking - few things are as good for our communities as reinvestment in aging neighborhoods. It’s the ultimate win-win-win: improving environmental quality... Kaid Benfield

May 9, 2012

US obesity rates continue to soar, in part because of automobile dependence

The headline in Tuesday’s USA Today was shocking: “Obesity could affect 42% of Americans by 2030.” That is nearly triple the rate experienced just three decades ago, according to an article written by Nanci Hellmich. At current rates, eleven... Kaid Benfield

May 8, 2012

Great city characteristics make us happier. Unless they don't.

I’ve been looking at some research reports, and confirming that some of the qualities associated with great urbanism – good public transit; easy access to cultural activities, recreation and shops; connectedness – are associated positively with human happiness. I... Kaid Benfield

May 4, 2012

Impressive Denver study on equity & transit should become national model

Transit analysts Reconnecting America and the Denver equity coalition Mile High Connects have released an impressive compendium of maps and research showing how expansion of that city’s transit system could bring major opportunity to traditionally underserved populations – if... Kaid Benfield

May 3, 2012

Visualizing the "edible city" in three minutes

The American Society of Landscape Architects has produced another great video, this one about growing food in cities. I'm a big fan of ASLA's work, in part because of their terrific skill at public and professional communications. This particular... Kaid Benfield

May 1, 2012

Can collaboration substitute for authority in solving regional problems?

As elaborated in yesterday’s post, metropolitan regions may well be the economic engines that drive America, and they may be one of the most significant scales (along with neighborhoods) for addressing environmental challenges. But they can be jurisdictional and administrative... Kaid Benfield

CityBlog

City Search