MyWHaT Tumblr
RSSThe simple ability to walk near one’s home should be a human right.
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“And yet the streets of many American communities are designed in such a way that taking a simple walk can be a life-threatening proposition, especially for older people, who might move more slowly and have limited vision or other disabilities. The CDC figures show thatpedestrians over the age of 75 are twice as likely to be killed while walking as members of the general population. Yet key lawmakers continue to block funding for better pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, ensuring that more roads and bridges get built without accommodations for people outside of motor vehicles.
“The driving boom is over.”
(via U.S. PIRG: The Driving Boom Is Over But the Road-Building Binge Continues | Streetsblog Capitol Hill)
It speaks to the future, because everyone wants to see the trees do well.
Dan Mauney keeps misplacing his car.
(via America’s Most Bikeable Neighborhoods - Richard Florida - The Atlantic Cities) * Mitten state doesn’t even make the map
we see equity as inseparable from sustainability
it requires imagining a world that is different from what currently exists.
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“In a typical community 20-40% of the population cannot or should not drive due to age, ability or income, and many trips are most efficiently made by alternative modes. It is unfair if non-drivers are not given a share of transportation infrastructure resources, and it is inefficient if parents are forced to drive children to local destinations due to inadequate pedestrian and cycling facilities, or if lower-income households are forced to purchase more vehicles than is affordable due to inadequate transport options.”
It’s interesting to see that in places like Copenhagen, biking is so ubiquitous, people see bikes as a handy tool, like a lawn-mower or a vacuum cleaner, and don’t really identify themselves as bicyclists. In a way, they’ve transcended the cultural question on an individual level, though bicycling is certainly part of the larger identity of the city.
- Martha Roskowski on urban cycling culture. (via thisbigcity)
* Play in the streets.
New streetlamps could improve your view of the stars.
A new paper published in the journal Optics Express describes a system for focusing light from streetlamps directly on the area required, with almost no light leakage horizontally or vertically. Conventional street lamps scatter up to 20% of their energy away from where it is required, not only wasting power but also leading to light pollution which obscures your view of the night sky.
The proposed LED lamp uses a lens to limit where the light is projected, with a reflecting cavity to recyle light that would otherwise be wasted. The team thinks the system would use between 10 to 50% less power to illuminate a section of road than current LED streetlamps, which are already more efficient than regular lamps.
A prototype is being developed and is hoped to be completed this October.
pLEASE
YES
This sounds awesome.
(Source: BBC)
“Non urban furniture” by Made (Patrick Demazeau), 2011, Futuroscope, Poitiers
You don’t need to go to the country to get close to nature!
* Going to miss this daily commutte to coffee.
there is a certain, spontaneous magic attributable to good urban places that can awaken them, but will only occur when they are locally relevant and embraced.
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