HSmith's blog

If you are AICP and want to receive credits for attending CNU XVI please visit www.planning.org, and login. The sessions that are registered for credit and you can sign up there.

CNU Board member and his student Wesley Marshall released a new study on the benefits of Street Parking for downtowns.

Building on the Developer Plenary at CNU XVI on staying afloat despite the market turmoi, the Chicago Tribune reports in this article

Today's 2007 Transportation Summit hosted by the Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment opened with a

Today's 2007 Transportation Summit hosted by the Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment opened with a s

Summer is all about long days and balmy nights, so why not enjoy it on the bike? Saturday I took part in one of my favorite events of the summer. The Chicago Friends of the Park LATE (long after twilight ends) ride. This is a 25 mile ride through the streets from 2-6am beginning downtown and ending with sunrise and breakfast on the lake. We met up at the Art Institute at 1:00am along with a growing batch of cyclists. It reminded me a bit of a zombie movie--only everywhere pedestrians were turning into cyclists. First I just saw a few cyclists, then several others biking all over downtown meeting up with friends, and adjusting their headlights and helmets and gathering near Grant Park, then more and more gathered. Two friends and I plus 9,000 other riders took to start line about 1:30am. There was a band and they were giving out McDonald's ice coffee and snacks to keep us awake.

For those of us who want to promote public transportation and put more money into public transit I wouldn't have picked this headline but it did make the front page and seems to be sparking a great debate. The Sun Times front headline in huge letters proclaims

Ironically at the start of Bike to Work Week here in Chicago, the Chicago Tribune leads it's front page with a story

"The pay's fine, but how's the drive?" showing how people are reconsidering their quality of life in favor of shorter commutes, and choosing less costly commutes close to home.

Tom Low kicked off the New Initiatives Forum today with a newly emerging idea that is quickly gaining traction within the movement--Light Imprint New Urbanism or LINU.

Here is an excerpt from the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette featuring Andres Duany discussing how broadband can complement New Urbanist communities. The article quoted Andres saying Telecommuting can be a lonely lifestyle, but a well-designed neighborhood should provide enough social interaction. Telecommuters can take a break at a local coffee shop or work from there on a laptop.