• Why we need Observational Urbanism

    Putting observation first, and theory second, helped to move the planning profession toward more beneficial city building techniques in the late 20th Century. It continues to be an important test and correction to theories, even new urbanist ideas.
    Ten years ago, this summer, I wrote an opinion article commemorating the 50 th Anniversary of Jane Jacobs Death and Life of Great American Cities, in which I may have coined the term “Observational Urbanism.” I had not heard the term before, or since, with the exception of presentation earlier this...Read more

  • How downtown Oklahoma City did a 180

    The city used a bad assessment on walkability, and a skyscraper development, as the impetus and means to transform downtown’s public realm, boosting tourism, the economy, and quality of life.
    Oklahoma City, which ranked dead last in Prevention Magazine’s 2008 assessment of sizable American cities for walkability, soon after commissioned a report on how to improve conditions for pedestrians downtown. An initial analysis by Speck & Associates found that Oklahoma City’s streets were...Read more

  • Covid was an extraordinary experiment in rethinking street design

    Let's learn all we can from the lightning fast efforts to adapt streets to provide public space during the pandemic. The biggest lesson: Don't be afraid to experiment with streets.
    Last year, when elected city leaders and their planning staffs watched in horror as the pandemic ravaged local economies nationwide, many, if not most of them took the opportunity to experiment with their city’s street network. Those that enjoyed the flexibility of a tight street grid tried...Read more

  • The rise of pedestrian-first streets

    The woonerf is coming of age as a thoroughfare type, allowing streets to take center stage as public spaces.
    Call them “woonerfs,” or “shared space,” these are skinny streets where motor vehicles may be allowed—but play second-fiddle to human-powered transportation. These streets often have no vertical curbs and are designed so that drivers feel comfortable only going very slow—5 or 10 mph. “Blurring the...Read more