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Park[ing] Day ’09: Turf’s Up!

By Ken Farmer on Sep 22, 2009 | Add Comment

For one glorious day each year, an international celebration of street life commonly known as “Park[ing]  Day” reclaims parking spaces as people spaces in cities ranging from Santiago to Copenhagen. As described by its local New York City organizers—Transportation Alternatives, this monumental day is intended to

“support the conversion of [...]

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Transformative Transportation Policy in Abu Dhabi

By Gary Toth on Aug 18, 2009 | Add Comment

The third in a series of reflections from the travels of a 34-year veteran Traffic Engineer from the New Jersey Department of Transportation.  Gary Toth, who had previously never been abroad, spent a week in the United Arab Emirates capital city of Abu Dhabi. He found [...]

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Where the Sidewalk Doesn’t End: What Shared Space has to Share

By Gary Toth on Aug 17, 2009 | 11 Comments

The second in a series of groundbreaking reflections from the travels of a 34-year veteran Traffic Engineer from the New Jersey Department of Transportation.  Gary Toth, who had previously never been to Europe, spent a week touring the Netherlands with fellow PPSers Fred Kent and Kathy Madden.  Their mission was to learn more about [...]

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Critical Mass and Critical Manners in Vancouver BC

By dkornfeld on Aug 13, 2009 | 2 Comments

Tomorrow, a group of bicyclists in Vancouver BC will meet at David Lam Park in Yaletown and ride for an hour and a half through the city, ending at Vanier Park. As the press release for the event states, “Members of the general public will likely not notice the Critical Manners cyclists as they [...]

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Transmilenio: From People-Mover to People-Connector

By Tom Peyton on Aug 13, 2009 | 2 Comments

By Tom Peyton and Ethan Kent

Bogota’s Transmilenio Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT) has been receiving a lot of attention recently. PPS was actually touring Transmilenio headquarters (while there to speak at a conference) the morning the New York Times featured the system on its front page. Bogotá has a [...]

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GREAT PUBLIC SPACES: Buchanan Street (Glasgow, Scotland, UK)

By Tom Peyton on Aug 12, 2009 | Add Comment

What: Scotland’s principal shopping street, and the heart of Glasgow.

Why it Works: Buchanan Street has been Glasgow’s premier street for the past two centuries and is an integral part of the fabric of Glasgow’s historic city centre. With its richly ornamented Victorian and Edwardian commercial buildings as a backdrop, Buchanan Street is [...]

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Exiting the “Forgiving Highway” for the “Self Explaining Road”

By Gary Toth on Aug 7, 2009 | 17 Comments


The first in a series of groundbreaking reflections from the travels of a 34-year veteran of New Jersey Department of Transportation.  Gary Toth, who had previously never been to Europe, spent a week touring the Netherlands with fellow PPSers Fred Kent and Kathy Madden.  Their mission was to learn more about [...]

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A Few More thoughts on the Myth of the Great Wide Way

By Gary Toth on Jul 30, 2009 | Add Comment

As noted in a previous PPS blog post, an organization called Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) commissioned preparation of a report called On A Crash Course: The Dangers & Health Costs of Deficient Roadways. I would like to add a few observations to the great article written by Renee Espiau entitled “The Myth of [...]

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GREAT PUBLIC SPACES: Akademgorodok, Siberia (Russia)

By Tom Peyton on Jul 29, 2009 | 1 Comment

What: A pedestrian-oriented, academic oasis in the midst of the vast Siberian taiga.

Why it Works: Despite the Siberian cold (and Soviet planners), Akademgorodok is a robust pedestrian community. The town is home to dozens of academic institutions and the University of Novosibirsk. What really sets this town apart from others, in terms [...]

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Engaging with Public Space, via your iPhone

By klevy on Jul 28, 2009 | 4 Comments
The explosion of apps for the iPhone (and iPod Touch) includes plenty of tools to help you navigate city streets, engage with your community, and enjoy public spaces as never before.  Below, a roundup of some of the best Placemaking-friendly apps:

* Markets and eating local. Locavore ($3.99) uses the iPhone’s GPS capability [...]

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Williamsburg Walks: Rethinking Public Spaces

By Tom Peyton on Jul 24, 2009 | 1 Comment

By Ken Farmer and Tom Peyton

In NYC, street closures for pedestrians, activities and celebrations are becoming increasingly more commonplace. With normally ever-present automobiles absent, pedestrians are free to walk and play in the streets, meeting one another for shopping, dining and conversation.

Unlike traditional street closures surrounding a specific event (e.g., Bastille Day on [...]

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GREAT PUBLIC SPACES: Shinjuku Eki (Tokyo, Japan)

By Tom Peyton on Jul 22, 2009 | Add Comment

What: A multi-use transfer point for all main lines of mass transit in Tokyo, this station is filled with people from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. every day of the week.

Why it Works: The Japanese know how to use their valuable space efficiently. This is urban development at its best; you can [...]

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