From Sustainable Cities Collective —Flash Mobs and Private Spaces: Malls Are Not Public Spaces

With shopping malls freely banning some people from entering, the ugly truth became impossible to ignore: malls are not public spaces. Despite seeming to be exactly this, these private enterprises can bar anyone without committing the crime of discrimination.

"If the place to go for a walk and see people in a city is the mall, it is a sick city. In the best cities like Manhattan, Paris or Madrid, people go to public spaces. A city’s public space should compete with shopping malls on quality and security."  — Enrique Peñalosa

More at: Flash Mobs and Private Spaces | Sustainable Cities Collective

From Shorpy — Saginaw, Michigan circa 1908

Post by Shorpy Higginbotham.

@SFUPublicSquare #HappyCity Lecture — Live Tweets

Choosing the #HappyCity lecture is today! Tune in to the live webcast at 7 pm. http://t.co/iQ2dudWIjr ^sb http://t.co/8sgB0mQZtH

— TransLink BC (@TransLink) March 26, 2014

Tweets about "#happycity"

5 Mind-Bending, Pioneering National Film Board Short Films By Norman McLaren

Post by NFB.

From The National Film Board — The World Around us: 7 Films About Architecture and the Built Environment

Post by The Sidewalk Ballet.

Public Space & Slow Zones in NYC v Paris

Public space & slow zones in NYC v Paris,where 37% of streets have <#20MPH speed limits http://t.co/T3oX083N7N #cplan pic.twitter.com/hutqunry7m

— urbandata (@urbandata) March 26, 2014

Meet the Winners of the 2014 Jane Jacobs Prize

Post by The Sidewalk Ballet.

Celebrate the Streets!

Huge growth since launch in 2011 MT @OpenStreetsMPLS Save the dates for 6 events in 2014! http://t.co/w1L3Prw0HM pic.twitter.com/OyzTN0biM1

— Open Streets Project (@Open_Streets) March 24, 2014

From FastCoDesign.com — How Better Design Could Save Pedestrians' Lives

In the wake of public outcry over a spate of pedestrian deaths earlier this year, New York City officials announced that they would adopt a "Vision Zero" policy. Modeled after a Swedish concept introduced in the late '90s, it sets a goal of absolutely no traffic fatalities in the country. Sweden has reduced its road deaths by half since 2000, becoming one of the safest places in the world when it comes to traffic deaths. A total of 264 people died in traffic in the country last year. By contrast, 176 pedestrians were killed in traffic in New York City alone last year.

Mayor Bill DeBlasio outlined his proposals for achieving Vision Zero in mid-February. They include lowering the citywide speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph and stepping up enforcement for moving violations like failing to yield. Controversially, although DeBlasio has insisted it's not part of citywide plans, police have ramped up their efforts to rein in jaywalkers: according to theNew York Times, the department issued 215 jaywalking tickets in the first month and a half of 2014, compared with 27 issued in the same period last year.

Roads in Sweden are built with safety prioritised over speed or convenience. Low urban speed-limits, pedestrian zones and barriers that separate cars from bikes and oncoming traffic have helped. Building 1,500 kilometres (900 miles) of '2+1' roads--where each lane of traffic takes turns to use a middle lane for overtaking--is reckoned to have saved around 145 lives over the first decade of Vision Zero. And 12,600 safer crossings, including pedestrian bridges and zebra-stripes flanked by flashing lights and protected with speed-bumps, are estimated to have halved the number of pedestrian deaths over the past five years.

How Better Design Could Save Pedestrians' Lives | Co.Design | business design

Should Mayors Run the World?

Video: I defend the idea that mayors aren't the best national leaders http://t.co/Noz76UlGO0 (re this debate http://t.co/7H2R2efMNC)

— Doug Saunders (@DougSaunders) March 14, 2014

"Everybody I Know Needs One..."

This is why my urbanism consultancy would never be successful pic.twitter.com/qfpTdPuXHV

— neil21 (@neil21) March 17, 2014

Think Cities are Chaotic? Look Closer...

Post by Project for Public Spaces.

Nenshi a "Jolly Fun Fellow"

Hmm. MT @glowsticky: @nenshi U remind me of Babar! A jolly fun fellow dealing with daily mysterys & adventure :) pic.twitter.com/GvW2kBCxRQ

— Naheed Nenshi (@nenshi) March 13, 2014

Street Design Environment Sez to Drivers: You're Cool This is All Yours

Street design environment sez to drivers: you're cool this is all yours. Curious problem with distracted driving arises... deadly.
— TheSidewalkBallet (@1sidewalkballet) March 13, 2014

Miss the SFU Andrew Coyne Lecture on Transportation Last Month? Here's the Video.

Miss the @CS_SFU @acoyne lecture on transportation last month? Here's the video. http://t.co/PS5R24PU2S

— TheSidewalkBallet (@1sidewalkballet) March 12, 2014

From BBC Radio 4 — Thinking Streets

The streets beneath our feet are getting smart. Pavements are melting into the roads and traffic lights are disappearing. Inspired by the work of scientists and engineers in Holland and Japan, this is a revolution in urban design. Part of it is a movement known as 'Shared Space', which promises to dramatically change the way cities look and how we experience them. In Thinking Streets, Angela Saini asks if all these ideas really fulfil the promise of making us all safer, happier and more efficient? Read more: BBC Radio 4 - Thinking Streets

In Walkable CitiesSize and Nature of City Blocks is Crucial

RT @urbandata: In walkable cities, size and nature of city blocks is crucial. Figure-ground maps: pic.twitter.com/Lx8kgs29GS MT @BrentToderian

— TheSidewalkBallet (@1sidewalkballet) March 8, 2014

From walkscore.com — What Makes a Neighborhood Walkable

What makes a neighborhood walkable?

• A centre: Walkable neighborhoods have a center, whether it's a main street or a public space.
• People: Enough people for businesses to flourish and for public transit to run frequently.
• Mixed income, mixed use: Affordable housing located near businesses.
• Parks and public space: Plenty of public places to gather and play.
• Pedestrian design: Buildings are close to the street, parking lots are relegated to the back.
• Schools and workplaces: Close enough that most residents can walk from their homes.
• Complete streets: Streets designed for bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit. More at: What Makes a Neighborhood Walkable Jane Jacobs wrote about the importance of these walkability factors -- density, mixed use -- in The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Is your neighbourhood walkable? HT @janeswalk

From Metropolis Magazine — Ballet of the Sidewalk

Moves + Pepsi, New York City, 1955 © William Klein

Author Jeff Speck asks how lively streets can make for not just walkable cities, but good and just ones.  The soul of a city can be found by taking a walk. This is the essential premise behind all great street photography. Here Metropolis presents both classic examples and contemporary work, from Vivian Maier and William Klein to Boogie. More: Ballet of the Sidewalk - Metropolis Magazine - February 2014

For the PedestrianIt's a Matter of Life and Death

There's a reason why cities that care about pedestrian safety reduce speed limits: pic.twitter.com/iFCi5rw77H via @VisionZeroNYC

— jennifer keesmaat (@jen_keesmaat) March 1, 2014

Immediate positive results / zero cost: 30k/hr speed zones in all residential neighbourhoods @VIAwesome @G_Anderson1 @cbruntlett

Immediate positive results / zero cost: 30k/hr speed zones in all residential neighbourhoods @VIAwesome @G_Anderson1 @cbruntlett

— NanaimoCommons (@NanaimoCommons) March 5, 2014

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RT @BrentToderian: Transit's good for you & promotes walking. No surprise there. http://t.co/QM9qUzaFAg via @USDOT pic.twitter.com/Kgtd7BtGvD

— TheSidewalkBallet (@1sidewalkballet) March 4, 2014

Julie Campoli — Made for Walking and Visualizing Density

Julie Campoli combines design projects with research, writing and teaching using a planner’s perspective and a designer’s sensibility to help people understand the built environment and the processes that shape it. Her study of land settlement patterns led to an exhaustive look at the issue of density. Visualizing Density was a five year project sponsored by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy to develop tools for understanding density — the issues, the role of design, and overcoming public opposition. The components of the project are: a book containing a “density catalog” of 1,000 images of neighborhoods across the country, a workshop for planning and design professionals, and an interactive web site.

Sample chapter and video at Julie Campoli – Made for Walking and, co-authored with Alex S. MacLean Visualizing Density.