I think I follow you but the sad fact is most people do not take the time of make the effort to reach out to their city officials. An urban planner does it professionally but for persons who have no stake in the matter, except for their daily frustrations, it is not so easy. This piece is saying bring those frustrations to the city officials. Urban planners have an unbelievably naive view of what the social world is like. They think anyone can intervene in city life when in reality no one hardly ever tries to do it. I dont know what it is. They feel they do not have the right or the power to.
The vast majority of my substack is helping normies do exactly what you're describing. I've worked in traffic safety, traffic engineering, corridor studies, revitalization plans, shared mobility, rezonings -- nearly all involving the public. And people don't know what they don't know. Not all the answers are in the single post, but I hope the collection helps.
Let me get this off my chest. If you are this big urban planning expert (I am still not clear just what you do as the "urban planner" was another person) you would have noticed something, which is that the "WALK" sign, especially the one that has a button to push really is a failure. This does not work. We even have some that talk, barking orders to pedestrians. The whole thing is a failure. Who admits it? Does anyone admit this? I just am able to notice glitches. (e.g. some of them switch between 'walk' and 'don't walk' without needing the button, some won't say 'walk' unless the button is brought into it...)
The "beg button," something I love to hate. I'm not an expert in all things urban planning, but I have expertise in mobility & land use planning. I have an extreme bias for planning & designing streets that make walking & bicycling convenient forms of getting around.
My city is actually pretty good about the intersections they control. Trying to get the attention of the state Department of Transportation to look at the state roads that go through town at 50MPH is a little more challenging.
On the bright side, every state has examples of U.S. Routes (the "important" ones) that go through low speed, constrained areas. So there's always evidence that calm is allowable.
I think I follow you but the sad fact is most people do not take the time of make the effort to reach out to their city officials. An urban planner does it professionally but for persons who have no stake in the matter, except for their daily frustrations, it is not so easy. This piece is saying bring those frustrations to the city officials. Urban planners have an unbelievably naive view of what the social world is like. They think anyone can intervene in city life when in reality no one hardly ever tries to do it. I dont know what it is. They feel they do not have the right or the power to.
The vast majority of my substack is helping normies do exactly what you're describing. I've worked in traffic safety, traffic engineering, corridor studies, revitalization plans, shared mobility, rezonings -- nearly all involving the public. And people don't know what they don't know. Not all the answers are in the single post, but I hope the collection helps.
Let me get this off my chest. If you are this big urban planning expert (I am still not clear just what you do as the "urban planner" was another person) you would have noticed something, which is that the "WALK" sign, especially the one that has a button to push really is a failure. This does not work. We even have some that talk, barking orders to pedestrians. The whole thing is a failure. Who admits it? Does anyone admit this? I just am able to notice glitches. (e.g. some of them switch between 'walk' and 'don't walk' without needing the button, some won't say 'walk' unless the button is brought into it...)
The "beg button," something I love to hate. I'm not an expert in all things urban planning, but I have expertise in mobility & land use planning. I have an extreme bias for planning & designing streets that make walking & bicycling convenient forms of getting around.
Here are a few posts that might be up your alley:
https://speakeasy.substack.com/p/the-40-20-rule-of-traffic-safety
https://speakeasy.substack.com/p/new-urbanism-saved-my-life
https://speakeasy.substack.com/p/planners-preserve-car-dependency
I see, you both love and hate it. I would not have expected such a response as that.
No I love *to* hate the beg button. It's a technology solution that won't save us. ;)
Seriously, it's a reminder that local agencies prioritize the speed of car travel over the safety of pedestrians.
My city is actually pretty good about the intersections they control. Trying to get the attention of the state Department of Transportation to look at the state roads that go through town at 50MPH is a little more challenging.
On the bright side, every state has examples of U.S. Routes (the "important" ones) that go through low speed, constrained areas. So there's always evidence that calm is allowable.