Fitting Roadways to Community Needs
A recent report by the Institute of Transportation Engineers report integrates transportation objectives of roadways with considerations about the built environment and pedestrian needs.
Streets & Roads
How to best deal with cars, trucks, and the street network has long been a major preoccupation of planners — as the many articles we've published on this attest!
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Planning for Better Roadscapes
Taking a fresh look at a roadway corridor can lead to land use policies that better meet your long-term goals and objectives.
Corridors Through Our Communities
From the old riverboat world of the Mississippi to the crowded arterials of today’s cities and towns, transportation corridors have played a critical role in American life. Hannah Twaddell explains why planning for our corridors makes sense.
No Such Thing as Free Parking?
Planning Comm’rs Journal columnist Hannah Twaddell discusses some of the provocative ideas about parking in a much discussed book by economist and planner Donald Shoup.
Making the Connection
The benefits of “street connectivity” have received growing attention from planners. Hannah Twaddell looks at what’s behind this interest in interconnected streets.
Safe Routes to School
Safe Routes to School programs are being implemented in communities across the country. Transportation planner Hannah Twaddell provides a primer on “SR2S.”
The Deep Mystery of Traffic Congestion
TDM is a relatively new approach to dealing with congestion. Instead of assuming increasing traffic as a given and the solution being to build more and bigger roads, TDM asks some deeper questions.
Controlling Strip Development
One of the most common problems facing planners is how to deal with commercial strip development along major road corridors. Some approaches communities can consider to better deal with strip development.
How Dimensional Standards Shape Residential Streets
Dimensional standards, which regulate building setbacks and height, lot coverage, and similar matters, have a significant effect on shaping the “streetscape” — something that’s not always considered.
“We Don’t Have Enough Parking”
It’s not unusual to hear complaints that downtown retail districts suffer from a lack of adequate parking. Roberta Gratz takes a closer look at this concern, and outlines “people first” steps to better address downtown parking.
Road Design: A Turn Ahead
Too often new roadways have been designed to be wider and straighter, without much consideration being given to the character of the surrounding community. In recent years, however, there has been a gradual turn towards more thoughtful, “context sensitive” roadway design.
Access Management
An overview of access management, followed by an illustrated guide to strategies that can help control the flow of traffic between the road and surrounding land.
Sidewalk Essentials
It’s time for all communities to view sidewalks as an integral part of the transportation network. Tips for getting started in planning for sidewalks.
