Think globally. Bike Locally

Since the Brundtland Report of 1987, sustainable development has often been referred to as one that affects the 3 basic E's-- Environment, (Social) Equity, and Economy (and some choose to include Ecology, as a forth prong). The stepchild, in my opinion, of the aforementioned equation is that of Economy. While development must be financed in some way, shape, or form (public; private; public-private partnerships...alot of alliteration going on, so far!), establishing a stable local economy is often left at the wayside in favor of compromised design, regulatory policies, and unwavering public opinion. Even more so, as discussed in the previous post, our urban fabric is supported by a road system that caters to the crossing of economies. How easy is it to drive to the other county's IKEA, rather than purchase furniture from a local-craft consignment store? Too easy. Convenience paves the way for auto-dominance... and vice versa. What planners and city officials have noticed, as of late, is that encouraging and promoting bicycle use within a city, is one way to keep money in the local economy.

Complete Streets. Completely Realized?

In my humble opinion, it’s a bit of a shame that we have to be reminded, as planners and engineers alike, to create streets that accommodate all types of travelers: cyclists, walkers, busriders, disabled, motorist, etc etc. This, to me, is common sense. However, since the housing crisis and boom of Post World War II, yesterday’s cities of today (even newer Planned Urban Developments (PUDs)), have been designed specifically to accommodate the automobile…and the auto only.  Street classification systems of today have routinely strayed from the traditional grid pattern system that disperses traffic more efficiently. "Streets are classified into a system of increasing volume and speed: residential, collector, minor , and major arterial. This classification philosophy… purposely de-emphasizes accommodations for users other than private vehicles on the highest volume streets" (StreetsWiki). Today’s streets are congested arterials and roads—a significant difference demonstrated in the later portion of this write-up.

Blogging with an Intention

We are a group of young, professional Urban Planners studying in the Master's program at San Diego State University. Encouraged to learn, share, and grow from our experiences in the urban planning realm, we have created this blog to share our distinct and blossoming interests with our peers, colleagues, and mentors, alike. This blog will feature article reviews, project summaries, and opinions and critiques regarding the planning profession and trends of today.