In this video, Vox explores the most dangerous road in America, found in New Port Richey, Florida. This arterial road (a section of US-19) is responsible for 17 fatal crashes from 2001-2016. Vox then interviews pedestrians who frequent US-19, recording their testimonies as damning proof of the failures and inadequacies of this road. For example, crosswalks on this 8-lane road are 950m apart from one another, which is approximately a 30-40 minute walk TO REACH THE NEXT CROSSWALK. Vox then records their reporter attempting to use one of these crosswalks, and, I kid you not, the crosswalk was defunct; she waited for over 10 minutes, yet she NEVER got the go-ahead to cross. The video ends with a rundown of the actions New Port Richey is currently taking to improve the safety and holistic function of this road.

The connotation behind the term urban renewal came about from the government funding the demolition of neighborhoods through the Housing Act of 1949, the Housing Act of 1954, and the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. The Housing Act of 1949 was a crucial law that furthered urban renewal because the government-funded projects by paying two-thirds of the overall expenses. This act caused cities to tear down entire neighborhoods with bulldozers and rebuild schools and roads on the cleared land. Once the Housing Act of 1954 was implemented the government increased the funding for urban renewal projects and started to pay minorities to leave economically depressed regions. Due to these acts around 800 cities in America partook in urban renewal by 1965 and 1 of every 17 housing units was destroyed during the '60s. This led to the closure of local businesses, individuals who were displaced lacked transportation because they didn't live close to work anymore, and lots of product waste from the demolition. By 1974 the government stopped funding these acts, but the negative connotation of urban renewal remains. 

What seems to be a simple choice, car or train, has confounded researchers in the DC metro area. Studies of Washington’s Metrorail and Metrobus programs from COVID times predictably found that ridership in the two flagship transit programs has fallen, but what has stumped these datasets more is the fact that ridership before and after the pandemic has also fallen. More and more DC commuters are choosing to purchase and use cars, even with one of the nations more efficient public transit systems available to them. The effect on low income neighborhoods in the District, has been drastic in reducing even more ridership, generating a negative feedback loop. The city has attempted more marketing in having more people minding the gap versus minding the traffic, but it seems that it will take time before any significant change will be made. 

This book covers the history of De Jure segregation in the United States, especially related to home ownership and social mobility. It is a common held belief that racism exists through a sum of individual prejudices, but many fail to realize that there was explicitly and implicitly racist policy throughout much of the twentieth century that shaped the economic status of generations. The Federal Housing Administration refused to subsidize developments that were mixed-race or all African-American, making it much harder for African Americans to find housing in the post world war housing boom. This was combined with private actions such as restrictive racial covenants on homes (that prevented homeowners selling to anyone other than white families) which were enforced by states, and violence and terror inflicted upon those attempting to integrate that was all but sanctioned by local governments. These racist policies violated the 14th amendment rights of millions of Americans and we, as the people of the United States, must urge our leaders to right these wrongs. 

In a brief editorial history of bicycling habits of the city of Salem, OR, Sue Bell provides proof of a concept sought by many cities hoping to become bicycling capitals. Eugene, OR has been biking for a while, a trend captured by the relative progressiveness of the city, and through the lack of various progressive city administrations, and the city continues to be an example of bike/pedestrian infrastructure to this day. This information is important because bicycling is seen as “normal” in Eugene. Cyclists aren't foreigners from far away, they are neighbors, friendly coworkers, or friends. This community of cyclists self sustains itself through a status quo, and the thriving bike community of Eugene is important if you want to recognize how they got there.

This article gives a great overarching idea and outline for Bike Rodeos. They vary in many different ways but they always have the "rider check, bicycle check, and skills check." In other words, a safe helmet, a maintained bike, and basic handling skills.

My only personal disagreement comes from a part of the bike fitment section. This article claims that a proper saddle height should have both feet flat on the ground while sitting on the saddle. While this is great when starting to ride, it is far too low for a confident rider and is very uncomfortable on the rider's legs. The higher the saddle the easier the pedaling (up till your feet can't reach the pedals anymore)

This article is a very in-depth dive into what a Bike Rodeo involves and takes to run. Beginning with the target audience it states a range of Kindergarten to 14-year-olds. It then outlines a timeline (45 minutes in all is ideal), how to keep stations and activities flowing and interesting, registration and templates, bike inspection checklist (ABCF), road rules, proper equipment fitment, and community booths. It also describes on and off-road courses and addresses the question do these events actually work?

Ren discusses the way that small liberal arts colleges located in small towns can often play key roles in helping that town survive. He analyzes case studies of several small town colleges across the country and the impact they have on their communities. He asserts that in the same way that powerful companies and institutions want to see their cities succeed, the same is true for colleges and their small towns. Colleges have occasionally integrated campus buildings into downtown spaces, and contributed to the community in ways from economic development to local education. Students are turned away from high ticket price institutions more than ever before, and having a town or community integrated with one's college is something they have that sets them apart from larger options, something that liberal arts colleges are beginning to take advantage of.

Muysken and Fears argue against the 2021 proposal for an expansion of I-526 Lowcountry Corridor in North Charleston. Hundreds of people are expected to be forced to relocate in the $3 billion dollar project, and 94% of them are minorities. The original highway was built decades ago with the Federal Highway Act, but this expansion, designed to relieve congestion, continues the legacy of African-American communities hit harder by infrastructure developments in an era where people are promising to reverse these issues. Several community members testify to feeling as though they are seen as a "point of least resistance." Adding more lanes is tried and true to not work to solve congestion, yet SCDOT marches on with the project. The article states the pan will take effect a few years after its finalization.

Gagosz analyzes the controversy surrounding a new Brown University student housing development in Providence through the lens of effects on residents of the area. The project will tear down some historic buildings and take away from the aesthetic of the area, but there are also effects on homeowner's property taxes, ones that will continue as Brown expands its presence in the area. The article poses the negative effect Brown has on the city, possessing $7.9 billion in tax exempt property that would net $48 million in property taxes annually if Brown were not exempt. Instead, homeowners and landowners have to pay the largest property tax rate in the state, often affecting renters in cases of leased property. The article reflects on the positive contributions Brown has made to Providence and Rhode Island through the work and research it has done, but calls for change in how the college gives back to its home. 

New York's Brookland Atlantic Avenue is one of the worst roads in the US for pedestrian safety. One commenter even said, "I avoid walking along here because it’s so unpleasant." The road is so bad that the mere thought of even walking near it is too much. Another described the road like, “It was sort of like [a] border, a demarcation." Instead of serving as an avenue for transport, Atlantic Avenue does the exact opposite. 

So what is happening to make it better? Currently nothing but prayers, but after being stalled by the pandemic a proposal has been made for improving the road. The biggest of the proposed changes is a center bike lane. To fit this, 4 car lanes will shrink to 2 and there will be a slight median to separate the cyclist from the barreling tons of steel.

Most importantly though, when will this happen? Honestly, nobody knows, if even ever

This article addresses the youth’s ignorance of citizenship and lack of engagement with the government and social issues. The authors use the 26 diverse youth in the UP-BEAT Youth Health Leadership Program in Bryan/College Station, Texas as the basis for their study. They participated in training, went into different types of neighborhoods, and both created and presented presentations for government officials about issues and possible solutions. To gather data, the youth were asked questions after being in the program for a while and the adults leading them also gave input. The results for the youth included new environments, new experiences, moral and ethical development, and youth realizing the prevalence of adultism.

Webber identifies the power of a strong relationship between a university and its city, using the University of Chicago and Washington University in St. Louis as case studies. He explains how a city needs smart policies and changing dynamics while a university needs to produce research and provide opportunities for its students; the two can go hand in hand. Though a city and a university have very different goals, if they work together, great things can come of it. He speaks of programs that Washington University has that influence medical care in the region, and the way the University of Chicago has drive to improve urban education in the surrounding area, and how both provide experiential learning for university students while also benefitting their city. He concludes by speaking to how universities are committed to solving society's largest problems while cities are home to many of them.

Commercial electric scooters have always been controversial. The worry that people can drop the scooters wherever they'd like is a valid one, but there's also a fear of theft and improper locking. A new law in Washington DC hopes to elevate that. A new law requires all scooters to have locks built-in within a year.

Will this have an effect on their perception? Probably not. Scooters are an easy target for all the issues of a city, so in the end, any improvements are a losing battle.

Whenever traffic becomes a problem the first response is always to add more lanes. But is that the right response? According to the iron law of congestion yes. That law states that with more capacity, comes more cars. In other words, if there are more lanes, more cars will come to fill the lanes. This idea is also known as the Jevons Paradox. But why do we keep coming back to this?

Like most things, it comes back to money and tradition. Expansion has been the solution for years and cars are easily taxable. State DOT organizations would have their budgets halved if alternative transports were embraced.

Kendig Keasts and the City of Florence update their previous plan to develop downtown Florence and they reflect on its effectiveness. They start by highlighting many of their successes, including the recruitment of FMU's Nurse facility and Hyatt Place for downtown locations as well as expansion and implementation of better streetscapes, sinage, and urban design. They emphasize how their success came out of collaboration between public, private, and philanthropic interests, and how their success makes them a regional center of how to develop a downtown. Florence continues hoping to obtain another major employer downtown, build a permanent farmer's market location, complete a bike-path system, and remove structures that do not contribute economically or aesthetically. Downtown Florence surpassed many of their goals, and they finish the proposal with a strong push forward.

This was more of a news piece than an article but it highlighted Biden's new transportation plans. According to the American Society for Civil Engineers, the US road network is rated a D with 40% of roads in poor or mediocre conditions. To combat this the Biden administration has the "Fix it Right" campaign.

But what is the revolutionary new idea to make it happen? There is none. Instead, they will be using the, do what want, and get this funding method. 

The biggest obstacle is most people want more car lanes, not alternative transports. Convincing states to build bike lanes and repurpose old roads with no hope of car renovations is the answer, but it will take lots of time.

FDOT installed 3 PHBs (pedestrian hybrid beacons - traffic control devices) and crosswalk illumination in Tampa, Florida in 2015 in order to decrease car-pedestrian collisions. They created a marketing campaign with the Center for Urban Transport Research to promote and raise awareness for the changes using a budget of $18,000. The community impacted by these changes responded positively, happy to see the implementations. Though some drivers exhibited confusion regarding how the PHBs worked, that was easily fixed with a road sign detailing it (signs read, “Stop on flashing red then proceed if clear.”) and crash rates fell 65% from an average of 20 down to 7 per year.

Kendig Keasts and the City of Florence write a proposal on key ideas moving forward in revitalizing Downtown Florence. They start by stressing the need to look long-term and take advantage of opportunities present to them in existing infrastructure, economic cores, or major industries. They wanted to link the Medical Hub of McLeod to Downtown, and establish a node of professional services given the high amount of Lawyers, Doctors, and Bankers in the region. They also wanted to develop a Cultural campus in a City Beautiful era fashion, and mixed use recreational development in an underdeveloped section of downtown. They had plans to create a transit hub involving biking and walking paths with the possibility of an Amtrak station. Topping it off, they wanted to restore some historical buildings in a historical district, provide some low-income housing availability, and create a financial district perfect for incubating local businesses. By combining private investments from the Bruce & Lee Foundation and others with public interest, they created a plan to make downtown a open and welcoming environment, not just an in-between but a destination.

Smith writes an opinion piece advocating for the intrinsic benefits of a university to the city it resides in. He starts by debunking the myth of educating populous, since most people do not stay or contribute economically in the same city after graduation. Rather, the value comes from the intellectual environment a university creates and the research and development initiatives undertaken by the university. People come to a city with a university because of the intellectual environment, with the school acting as a magnet for great minds. He speaks to how research done by a university  and student interns influence the development of the local information economy, creating economic cores around colleges. The article is an opinion, meaning it is more biased than traditional journalism, but it shines a light on some economic benefits that colleges can provide to their communities.

Hamil Pearsall and Jillian K. Eller research the where, when, and what of the "green space paradox." The green space paradox references when efforts to improve communities that have been underserved displacing residents. The authors studied 18 greenspaces in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the city's "Greenworks Philadelphia" sustainability initiative. The information from this study is important for avoiding gentrification when creating and renovating parks. It also educates about the impacts and differences of public/private/non-profit managed and cared for parks.

Prior to Covid-19 America was so deep-set in cars that it was near impossible to break out the cycle. Cars were essential in order to get to work, until all of a sudden, they weren't. The pandemic turned America on its head but also provided the means for radical new changes. Cities across the country; specifically Seattle, Pitsburg, and Austen; began closing and shrinking roads to make space for cyclists and pedestrians. Seattle's Mayor even made the changes permanent. The best part is these ideas aren't new. Our "love affair" with cars has been waning for years. As Krizek put it "the pandemic has allowed us to see into the future of our cities." 

The connotation behind the term urban renewal came about from the government funding the demolition of neighborhoods through the Housing Act of 1949, the Housing Act of 1954, and the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. The Housing Act of 1949 was a crucial law that furthered urban renewal because the government-funded projects by paying two-thirds of the overall expenses. This act caused cities to tear down entire neighborhoods with bulldozers and rebuild schools and roads on the cleared land. Once the Housing Act of 1954 was implemented the government increased the funding for urban renewal projects and started to pay minorities to leave economically depressed regions. Due to these acts around 800 cities in America partook in urban renewal by 1965 and 1 of every 17 housing units was destroyed during the '60s. This led to the closure of local businesses, individuals who were displaced lacked transportation because they didn't live close to work anymore, and lots of product waste from the demolition. By 1974 the government stopped funding these acts, but the negative connotation of urban renewal remains.