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Tag Archives: Pedestrians
“Within Walking Distance”
Philip Langdon’s new book Within Walking Distance, published by Island Press, uses six examples of walkable communities to show how they are made. No, unfortunately they do not arise spontaneously, at least not anymore, not since the postwar era, in … Continue reading
Kley: Trials of the pedestrian
This sketch, called “The Train,” by Heinrich Kley was probably etched in about 1910 to judge by the auto, by the fashionable attire of the alligator, or by the era in which Kley was publishing his more curious work. The … Continue reading
How to square the square
Seventeen years ago, Providence Place mall opened up downtown, in the Capital Center District, where an exit ramp from Route 95 meets Francis Street and continues on as Memorial Boulevard. Ever since then, too many pedestrians have endangered their lives … Continue reading
Is this tactical urbanism?
Here is a street sign that seems to epitomize the fatuousness, and perhaps the corruption, of municipal bureaucracy. Warning signs just like this have been popping up in the middle of streets in Providence for the past year or so. … Continue reading
Betsky bags Times Square
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has stirred a crisis by suggesting that he might remove the seating from Times Square and give it back to automotive traffic. The problem is that ladies with the breasts painted fabulous colors parade … Continue reading
Providence’s ‘renaissance’
The scalawag bugbear of an agitator Mary Ann Sorrentino on Sunday deplored downtown Providence in her Journal oped, “Walking through our moribund ‘renaissance’ city.” She describes strolling through town describing its former delights to her granddaughter. You can see the … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Development, Preservation, Providence, Urbanism and planning
Tagged History, Mary Ann Sorrentino, Pedestrians, Placemaking, Retail, Urban Planning
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Column: Dr. Downtown’s stroll with Dr. Street
Dear Dr. Downtown: Please tell us about your “walkabout” last weekend with the author of Street Design: The Secret to Great Cities and Towns — Strolling in Stratford. Well, the doctor thought that Dr. Street (aka John Massengale, New York … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Humor, Preservation, Providence, Urbanism and planning
Tagged Bill de Blasio, Dr. Downtown, John Massengale, Nantucket, New Urbanism, New York, Pedestrians, Planning, Providence, RISD, Street Design, Streets, Victor Dover, Vision Zero
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