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Tag Archives: Urban Planning

That 6-Letter Word

OMG!!! I’m going to use that 6-letter word! H E L M E T Stop reading. Go directly to comments. Rant. Did you catch Elisabeth Rosenthal’s op-ed in the Sunday Review section of The New York Times today? I have a great deal of sympathy for the argument that helmet wearing makes bicycling look dangerous. [...]

Posted 30 September 2012 † Andy Cline § advocacy § bicycle safety § ecology ‡ Comments (27) ° Also tagged: , , , ,

Our Urban Challenge: Riding The Bus

I’ve taken the bus in many cities in the U.S. and Europe, but before yesterday I had only taken the bus twice in my eight years in Springfield — both times to travel downtown when the roads were too icy to ride my bicycle. That wasn’t enough experience to form an impression of the system. [...]

Posted 28 September 2012 † Andy Cline § ecology § transit ‡ Comments (1) ° Also tagged: , , , , ,

What? WHAT?

I took my daughter to New York City for the first time when she was about 8 years old. We stepped out of the train station into the street, and the first thing she did was clamp her hands over her ears. In 2008, I had coffee with a friend of mine at an outdoor [...]

Posted 09 August 2012 † Andy Cline § ecology § traffic ‡ Comments (4) ° Also tagged: , , ,

Engineering And The First Amendment

Can you be persecuted (and, perhaps, prosecuted) for having an (informed) opinion about traffic infrastructure and voicing/writing that opinion as part of bicycle and pedestrian advocacy. Apparently, yes. This is partly a case of attempting to criminalize speech for political purposes. Although it also appears apparent that you’ll “win” even if the worst should happen. [...]

Posted 12 March 2012 † Andy Cline § advocacy § news § policy ‡ Comments (15) ° Also tagged: , , , , ,

Lots Of Participation At The Open House

The open house hosted by the Traffic Advisory Board yesterday to get citizens’ comments on bicycle and pedestrian issues was a success. I was only able to be there for the first 30 minutes — needed to get home before the storm, seeing as how I drove my bicycle to the event. It gave me [...]

Posted 29 February 2012 † Andy Cline § advocacy § bicycle infrastructure § news § policy ‡ Comments (2) ° Also tagged: , , ,

How To Increase Participation

My headline over-promises. I am not particularly interested in increasing participation as an end in itself. But it is clear that many bicycle advocates believe that providing such infrastructure as bicycle lanes, tracks, and separated paths does increase participation. According to recent studies, it’s not entirely clear what the cause-and-effect relationship actually is between infrastructure and participation. [...]

Posted 28 February 2012 † Andy Cline § advocacy § bicycle infrastructure § ecology § news § policy ‡ Comments (10) ° Also tagged: , , , , , , ,

Bike-Ped Plan Official Website

The official city website for the Bicycle-Pedestrian Plan is ready to view. Just click here. From the website: The City presently has a Bicycle Plan, a Greenways Plan and miscellaneous pedestrian policies and manuals.  Our goal is a comprehensive strategy that updates these plans and adds a formal Pedestrian Plan. This project is in response [...]

Posted 24 February 2012 † Andy Cline § advocacy § news § policy ‡ Comments Off ° Also tagged: , , ,

Bicycle-Pedestrian Plan Open House

Here’s a good opportunity to have your say about the future of sustainable, carbon-neutral transportation in Springfield (i.e. bicycling and walking): The City of Springfield Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Open House. When: 28 February, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Where: Busch Municipal Building I assume there will be much talk of bicycle lanes. Again, I have [...]

Posted 23 February 2012 † Andy Cline § advocacy § bicycle infrastructure § news § policy ‡ Comments (2) ° Also tagged: , , ,

Changing The Suburbs After The City

How might we re-imagine the suburbs? An exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York examines that question from an architectural standpoint. While the designs are rather dramatic, perhaps the most interesting idea is that we need to “change the dream.” That means re-thinking home ownership and single-family homes. So, yes, density. But [...]

Posted 16 February 2012 † Andy Cline § ecology ‡ Comments (4) ° Also tagged: , , , ,

Bieker Forum Discusses Bicycling

City Councilman Tom Beiker held a public forum at The Hub yesterday — first in a series of planned public discussions. The main topic was bicycling and helping make Springfield a bicycle-friendly community. I was unable to attend the meeting. The News-Leader published an article today. It’s difficult to tell how much talk there was [...]

Posted 07 December 2011 † Andy Cline § advocacy § bicycle infrastructure § ecology § news § policy ‡ Comments (5) ° Also tagged: , , , , ,

Moving Forward With Bicycle Facilities

Last year I reported here, based on a conversation at a STAR Team meeting, that the city was uninterested in painting more bicycle lanes. With the creation of new lanes on Division and Benton and  the discussion at night’s STAR Team meeting, it has became clear to me that painting more bicycle lanes is in [...]

Posted 17 November 2011 † Andy Cline § advocacy § bicycle education § bicycle infrastructure § bicycle safety § ecology § news § policy § safety ‡ Comments (6) ° Also tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Nice Day to Check Out the New Square

Park Central Square is finished. Here are the results. You’ll see that it has become a more pedestrian-friendly place. [nggallery id=6] Technorati Tags: Springfield Missouri, Urban and Regional Planning, urban design, urban development, Urban Planning

Posted 10 November 2011 † Andy Cline § ecology § news ‡ Comments (1) ° Also tagged: , , ,

Hanging Out, Causing Trouble

This is what happens when you hang out in coffee shops jawboning with cronies. One of the virtues of an urban area — especially a densely-populated downtown core — is that creative people bump into one another and start talking (or old farts start jawboning — take your pick). And that talking leads to ideas. And [...]

Posted 08 November 2011 † Andy Cline § ecology § news ‡ Comments Off ° Also tagged:

The Square Is Open :-)

Just in time for the First Friday Art Walk, the Square is open again. Here’s an iPhone image from a few minutes ago. Technorati Tags: cycling, urban design, urban development, Urban Planning

Posted 04 November 2011 † Andy Cline § ecology § news ‡ Comments Off ° Also tagged: , ,

Square Renovations Ahead of Schedule

The following is an e-mail issued by Butler, Rosenbury & Partners today about the renovations to Park Central Square: Construction crews are finishing work on Park Central Square in downtown Springfield 20 days ahead of schedule. This is the culmination of a four-year effort to improve Springfield’s Public Square. History Originally positioned as the city center in 1838, [...]

Posted 28 September 2011 † Andy Cline § bicycle destination § ecology § news ‡ Comments Off ° Also tagged: , ,