…typical American priorities for our food reflect a society that largely values convenience, quantity and value. The more recent rise of chains like Starbucks adds brand panache to the mix, but it’s a minority of the country that can battle time and financial pressures to value quality over quantity and a relaxed, pleasant experience at mealtime. [...]
Archive for December, 2007
If we are indeed what we eat…
December 31, 2007The joys of ‘complete streets’
December 27, 2007Sacremento recently transformed two midtown streets “from hostile, car-dominated thoroughfares to ‘complete streets’ that accommodate bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists,” writes Lea Brooks in a Sacramento Bee op-ed piece. “It was a small but significant step toward making Sacramento a more livable community.”
The two roadways went from three one-way lanes, all for motorized vehicles, [...]
Public hearing on pedestrian access to transit in downtown Framingham
December 26, 2007The Department of Community and Economic Development is holding two public meetings about pedestrian access to transit in Downtown Framingham on Thursday, January 3. There will be two sessions:
4-6 pm in the Memorial Building, Blumer Community Room
and 7 to 9 pm at TD Banknorth, 74 Concord Street, Framingham
This meeting was rescheduled from December because of [...]
Winter walking perils
December 24, 2007Once again, most suburban communities are treating walking as some kind of seasonal hobby, instead of as critically important transportation method as the automobile. While roadways are cleared on the taxpayers’ dime as soon as possible after a snowstorm, many sidewalks are left impassible for weeks. WHY IS THAT? Why is clearing routes for motor [...]
Shops, cafes, parks, plazas and walkability sprout in Atlanta
December 12, 2007“The buzzword for Atlanta developers in the aughts is walkable,” the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports. “From the recent announcement of an $8 million grant from the Woodruff Foundation for a new 35-acre park in the Old Fourth Ward to spanking new streetscapes in Buckhead, development around the region is forming a whole new ethic aimed [...]
Dining al fresco. In December. When it’s 36 degrees.
December 11, 2007I was in Brookline on Sunday, enjoying a walk down Harvard Street, along with lots of other people taking advantage of a walkable retail center with some interesting, non-national-chain stores … when I passed Panera’s, and saw people eating outside. Not just at a couple of tables, either, but there had to be at [...]
Your opinion sought: What do pedestrians need?
December 7, 2007The Metropolitan Area Planning Council has kicked off work on its Regional Pedestrian Plan. Make your voice heard! You can take a survey on important issues facing walkers, at http://www.mapc.org/pedplan/
“The Plan will identify and recommend policies and practices to facilitate and encourage walking as a convenient, safe, and practical form of transportation throughout the 101 [...]
Walkability is catching on, even in the suburbs: Brookings Institution
December 5, 2007After decades of post-World War II car-oriented development, there’s been a “gradual shift” toward change, as more Americans seek to live and work in places where you can get somewhere without a car. That’s “demonstrated by the success of the many downtown revitalizations, new urbanism, and transit-oriented development,” says Christopher B. Leinberger, visiting fellow at [...]
