The streets have been so dangerous for so long that until recently only a certain type of cyclist was brave enough to ride them.  In order to get more people to use bikes as a main transportation mode, we need to design streets and cycleways with the other riders in mind.  In this interview from CNU 19 in Madison, Mike Lydon of the Street Plans Collaborative discusses the who makes up the different types of riders that ride the streets.

Norman Garrick, CNU Board Member and professor at the University of Connecticut, has been looking at street networks for a number of years now.  When living in Davis California, he noticed it was a bit safer even though there were many more pedestrians and cyclists.  After more research, it became apparent that denser more connected street networks were safer.  In this discussion we had at CNU 19, he discusses how street networks affect safety.

People have been grouping facts and figures since the dawn of time into specific types but when Transit Oriented Development (TOD) was first starting many folks thought that it was Manhattan or bust.  Of course, that isn't the case but along the way the Center for TOD has developed a different way of thinking about how places along a transit corridor and in a transit region interact with each other and support regional growth and equity.  In this film series, Sam Zimbabwe, Director of the Center for TOD discusses why typologies are an important part of the planning process.  This is an introduction.  For more information on TOD typologies by the Center for TOD and other planning firms, visit our Typologies featured topic page. Part 1: Why TOD Typologies Part 2: What Do We Need to Think About? Part 3: Can TOD…

The National Association of City Transportation Officials has a new website devoted to design guidelines for bicycle-friendly streets.

There is a lot of discussion on the effect of transit on property values and redevelopment in cities around the country. Usually the boosters claim that transit helps and opponents claim that it does nothing. The truth? As with many other questions the answer is “it depends”.

Earlier this month, the Institute of Transportation Engineers released its "Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach." The 229 page guideline is designed to help agencies work toward improvements in mobility choies and community character by creating and enhancing walkable communities.

  The Institute of Transportation Engineers has released its "Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach," a 229 page recommended practice. The guidelines are designed to help agencies work toward improvements in mobility choies and community character by creating and enhancing walkable communities.

This report was produced by ITE and the Congress for the New Urbanism. The authors credit the several years of concerted effort by dedicated volunteers, including ITE members, CNU members and many other interested parties. These guidelines supersede the proposed recommended practice, "Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major Urban Thoroughfares for Walkable Communities," dated March 2006.

"Traditionally, through thousands of years of human settlement, urban streets have performed multiple functions," the authors note. "Mobility was one of the…