Brent Toderian in Planetizen — 10 Keys to Making A Great City Plan

One of the most interesting and complex challenges a city planner can be a part of, is the creation of a new city-wide plan—particularly one for an ambitious municipality that truly wants to change business-as-usual. Over my career I've worked on many city plans, both here in Canada and outside of North America. Read more: 10 Keys to Making A Great City Plan | Planetizen: The Urban Planning, Design, and Development Network

10 Keys to Making A Great City Plan! My top @planetizen article this year. #BrentsTop10 #3 https://t.co/bzWSWloien pic.twitter.com/jaMl51upea

— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) January 3, 2016

Why bike? Here's 8 reasons

.@BrentToderian at #CanU7 "multimodal transportation gains due in part to evidence spread by social media". Agreed. pic.twitter.com/Xs8rMETDKm

— Tobi Nussbaum (@tobi_nussbaum) October 16, 2015

Cities are designed to accommodate cars How do we redesign them to benefit people?

Better urban design could add years to your life#CBCCities Tweets

— @BrentToderian in @planetizen — Tall Tower Debates Could Use Less Dogma, Better Design

It's the debate about tall buildings, possibly the most polarizing argument in CNU circles (arguably even more than the lingering traditional vs contemporary architecture debate), and maybe in urbanism circles in general.

In previous posts and talks, I've discussed the importance of what I call "density done well." It might be impossible to discuss the controversial issue of density (still referred to by some politicians as “the d-word”) without discussing height. In fact, height is often more polarizing and controversial than density itself. Height and density have a relationship, one that can be over-simplified or mischaracterized, but they aren’t the same thing - you can have density without height, and yes, you can have height without density. Read more: Tall Tower Debates Could Use Less Dogma, Better Design | Planetizen: The Urban Planning, Design, and Development Network

Traffic planning is more social science than science — @BrentToderian

When I sometimes ask engineers to explain why great places that don't meet their safety standards actually prove to be safer...1/2 #CNU22

— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) June 7, 2014

2/2... the engineers often respond "that's just because people behave differently there." Exactly. #CNU22

— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) June 7, 2014

Traffic planning is more social science than science, & to understand mobility in cities better, engineers will need to be more "social."

— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) June 8, 2014

UN World Urban Forum Medellin Columbia #WUF7

Tweets about "#WUF7"

What Does it Take to Move 1000 People?

Mobility math: What does it take to move 1000 people? Up to 1000 cars with 1.37 ha of parking, 15 buses, or 1 train. pic.twitter.com/eM6QVVQttU
— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) April 5, 2014

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

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

Car trips didn't just "disappear" during the 2010 #Vancouver #Olympics. They switched to walking, biking & transit: pic.twitter.com/Sa0BlJn75b

— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) February 23, 2014

Only one speed fits the "Life-Sized City," argues @copenhagenize. pic.twitter.com/BzJsokovdS It's about street design, not just posted speeds.

— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) February 17, 2014

I have become convinced over my 22+ years of practice that municipal requirements for traffic studies & parking studies are usually a waste.

— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) February 17, 2014

Jan Gehl says that #Vancouver's @granville_isle is the best example of all his principles of life between buildings. pic.twitter.com/cvkM09V39G
— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) February 8, 2014

Science degrees in traffic engineering a “fraud upon students and upon the public” — Jane Jacobs

Science degrees in traffic engineering a “fraud upon students and upon the pubic” —Jane Jacobs Dark Age Ahead @BrentToderian @TODUrbanWORKS
— TheSidewalkBallet (@1sidewalkballet) February 4, 2014

—@BrentToderian My fear exactly for #Nanaimo Transportation Master Plan @spirit_of_urban @G_Anderson1

— TheSidewalkBallet (@1sidewalkballet) January 27, 2014

"Suburban #Sprawl: Not as cheap as you think. The hidden costs are paid by all." Strong messaging via @sustpro. pic.twitter.com/asFgEqiBrI
— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) January 21, 2014

Sustainable Prosperity report pdf SUBURBAN SPRAWL: EXPOSING HIDDEN COSTS, IDENTIFYING INNOVATIONS 

The most important decision #Vancouver ever made - this is how the freeways would have lobotomized downtown. pic.twitter.com/TrvnRQccxJ

— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) January 17, 2014

Cities need transit to work. MT @urbandata: What cities look like during #transit shut-downs. DC in 1974 bus strike pic.twitter.com/igSezFpvDr
— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) January 2, 2014

We all know by now that every great place worth being in has a parking problem. Trying to "fix" the parking problem often wrecks the place.
— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) December 22, 2013

How to transform a giant shopping mall parking lot, into a #walkable community. With great pictures. V.@FastCoExist http://t.co/VBj7uI2VHS

— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) December 21, 2013

.@1sidewalkballet Unfortunately that's what #suburban retrofit currently looks like. Small islands of "walkable" in a sea of car dependancy.
— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) December 21, 2013

—@BrentToderian Private owned public space a problem—Needed: divest subdivide even expropriate—Incremental organic devlpmnt @wisemonkeysblog

— TheSidewalkBallet (@1sidewalkballet) December 21, 2013