In Recent weeks Ray LaHood the US Secretary of Transportation announced a major redirection in the way the US DOT will approach transportation projects; specifically non-motorized transportation. Below is a snippet from his blog. More information can be found in the Fast Lane here and here.
Today, I want to announce a sea change. People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning. This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized.
We are integrating the needs of bicyclists in federally-funded road projects. We are discouraging transportation investments that negatively affect cyclists and pedestrians. And we are encouraging investments that go beyond the minimum requirements and provide facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.
To set this approach in motion, we have formulated key recommendations for state DOTs and communities:
Treat walking and bicycling as equals with other transportation modes.
Ensure convenient access for people of all ages and abilities.
Go beyond minimum design standards.
Collect data on walking and biking trips.
Set a mode share target for walking and bicycling.
Protect sidewalks and shared-use paths the same way roadways are protected (for example, snow removal)
Improve nonmotorized facilities during maintenance projects.
Detroit, the very symbol of American industrial might for most of the 20th century, is drawing up a radical renewal plan that calls for turning large swaths of this now-blighted, rusted-out city back into the fields and farmland that existed before the automobile. The current plan would demolish about 10,000 houses and empty buildings within three years and pump new investment into stronger neighborhoods. In the neighborhoods that would be cleared, the city would offer to relocate residents or buy them out.
This is quite the radical concept that Detroit is about to implement. Detroit covers 139 square miles and this plan would raze nearly 25% of the city thereby turning roughly 35 square miles of blighted neighborhoods and abandoned industrial lands into open fields and potentially new farmland.
This is a very interesting concept to say the least; rather than leaving decaying structures to become liabilities as they crumble or hot spots for crime, the city can theoretically make it all go away and turn the land at minimum to fallow fields prime for future redevelopment, bring agriculture back closer to the city, or add a tremendous about of land to the city parks inventory.
The plan does not come without cost – all of the properties will need to be purchased, structures demolished and recycled or disposed of, industrial properties could certainly present brownfield issues, and some residents, may not want to go, no matter how bad it may appear to outsiders. Ultimately the city would find some return on the investment with the reduction in services such as fire, police, and utilities to underpopulated areas. The city has already been awarded more than $40 million in Federal funding for urban renewal, some of which may very well kick-off this radical plan. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds.
Georgia Planning Association will host their spring conference in my hometown of Macon, Georgia during the Annual Cherry Blossom Festival – billed as the “Pinkest Party on Earth.” It has been a privilege to serve on the host committee for this event – I can’t think of a better time to visit Macon than Cherry Blossom Festival. It’s the peak of spring and the city puts its best foot forward. It’s beautiful backdrop against which some great planning work is taking place, such as redevelopment of the College Hill Corridor and renovation of the Cox Capitol Theatre.
The conference will be held at the brand new Macon Marriott City Center – walking distance from many wonderful downtown attractions, including the recent expansion of the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail. GPA’s Spring Conference will feature an exciting schedule of presentations – including Ecos’ Sarah Linden speaking about ArcHydro and its planning implications – as well as some great special events, such as our opening reception at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame with catering by Satterfields, some of Macon’s best local barbeque! It’s a natural destination for Georgia Planners this year. Look forward to seeing everyone there!
Hey Atlantans (and visiting greenies) be on the lookout for this traveling sustainability exhibit <– is that an oxymoron? No matter it should be an interesting exhibit. See the exhibit description below and links to more info. on the MODA web site and others:
“In celebration of Atlanta’s diverse mix of certified green building projects, Museum of Design Atlanta presents ATLANTA: Beyond Bricks & Sticks, an exhibition that will travel to some of the city’s high-profile venues during February and March. Spotlighting many of the metro area’s outstanding design examples, MODA’s Atlanta: Beyond Bricks & Sticks tells the stories of the people who live, work, learn and play in the city’s sustainable structures. Exhibit components include an interactive Atlanta Green Map, a “What is Your Carbon Footprint?” quiz, video interviews, an intimate look at student life at Dekalb County’s LEED Silver Certified Arabia Mountain High School and many other features that explain and celebrate green living.
Curation of the exhibition includes a broad spectrum of buildings reflective of the metro area’s commercial and residential projects along with large-scale developments that incorporate environmental features. All of the exhibit’s projects either meet the US Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building rating system or the Southeast’s EarthCraft House certification program. The exhibit has been thoughtfully designed with sustainable materials to fit the theme while allowing for the challenges of traveling to the various settings.”
Catch the exhibit now through July, and look for future dates through the end of 2010.
ECOS was recently selected to present at the Georgia Planning Spring Conference March 25 & 26 to be held in Macon, Georgia. Sarah Linden (a recent addition to Team Ecos) will present the ease and benefits of the use of ArcHydro in combination with LIDAR data on any planning project. ArcHydro (and other tools like TAUDEM) allow planners and designers to investigate subsurface and stream conditions in order to advance and influence sustainable design initiatives from the “Ground Up”! Ms. Linden with Dr. Tom Colson , a Wetland Scientist, Certified Flood Manager and GIS Professional working in Raleigh, NC, will walk attendees through a brownfield project in Raleigh, NC where ArcHydro and LIDAR data were utilized in order to present possible phasing options for redevelopment. The presentation will also show how the proper combination and balance of soil remediation and development around urban stream channels (not visible to the naked eyes) can allow communities to build densely without sacrificing the environmental condition. Hope to see you there!
