Active recreation takes over parking lot While many downtowns face a shortage of parking, in Grand Rapids, MI, the Downtown Development Authority is converting part of a parking lot into three outdoor futsal courts. Futsal is a scaled-down version of soccer involving two teams of five players competing on a smaller field with a smaller…To read more — login/subscribe
With the summertime concert season returning to normal, a number of midsized cities are offering free concerts as a way to activate downtowns. For 2022, the Mortimer and Mimi Levitt Foundation is funding concert series in 18 downtowns from Woonsocket, RI (est. pop. 41,616), to Carson City, NV (est. pop. 55,244). The Los Angeles-based Levitt…To read more — login/subscribe
In Chicago, city leaders have banned unaccompanied minors from a major downtown park after 6 p.m. In St. Louis, police shut down electric scooters downtown. In Grand Rapids, MI, city officials are wrestling with whether to station more police officers downtown. And in Pittsburgh, PA, the mayor felt compelled to announce a multi-pronged “plan for…To read more — login/subscribe
In Montclair, NJ (est. pop. 38,634), a downtown stretch of South Park Street catered to cars rather than pedestrians. The streetscape featured wide traffic lanes, angled parking, and narrow sidewalks. Montclair decided to reshape the street in a way that was more enticing to visitors and better suited to hosting festivals and events. “The town…To read more — login/subscribe
In Berkeley, CA (est. pop. 123,065), Telegraph Avenue has emerged as a battleground over cars and their place in a pedestrian-friendly area. A handful of university students and activists want the street turned into a pedestrian plaza, but merchants say the proposal is bad for business. Telegraph Avenue is near the campus of the University…To read more — login/subscribe
In Tucson, AZ (est. pop. 545,340), summertime temperatures are hot — and getting hotter. In response, the city has begun requiring shade structures and other heat mitigation. For instance, in downtown Tucson, half of all sidewalks and pedestrian pathways must be in the shade as of 2 p.m. on June 21, the sunniest day of…To read more — login/subscribe
Urban planners have long criticized local rules requiring new residential development to include parking spaces equal to or greater than the number of units in the project. It’s a practice that makes housing expensive and reinforces car-centric development patterns, they argue. In downtown San Diego, a developer and city officials are trying a different model.…To read more — login/subscribe
In Albany, NY (est. pop. 96,860), an Interstate 787 off-ramp has been turned into a pedestrian park known as the Albany Skyway. The Skyway is also planned as a venue for entertainment, public art, food trucks, and pop-up shops. The Skyway, which connects the city’s downtown with a burgeoning Warehouse District, is the latest example…To read more — login/subscribe
In the seaside town of Asbury Park, NJ (est. pop. 15,536), electric scooters have become a popular way for residents and visitors to get around. Scooters prove especially convenient on crowded beach days, when parking is scarce and traffic is gridlocked. Asbury Park introduced a fleet of 250 scooters citywide in the spring of 2021.…To read more — login/subscribe
