The A, B, Cs of Place
This week, the folks at the National University of Singapore have invited me to talk about the importance of evidence-based design. Since I can't take you guys to Singapore with me, we thought we'd share a video of a talk I gave at the Placemaking Conference in Oklahoma City two years ago, nearly to the date. (with a cliffnotes-like outline to boot). Here's what you'll learn:
1) The elements of good urban design
2) How to quantify what people love about cities
3) How to forecasting the economic value of great places to help you combat nimbys and naysayers
4) That I still have a Miami accent - and how growing up there made me want to fix places as a vehicle to fix people...
So spend your lunch break with me - I promise, I'm good company, if anything, for the geeky self-deprecation alone!
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To Walk or Not to Walk?
So what features and/or geographical areas should cities and developers prioritize to maximize walkability? By now, you probably know the answer to that question is - it depends. To explain why, we look to the "Hierarchy of Walking Needs," which argues that some built environment features are more "fundamental" than others and must be met first, as well as offer a variety of key questions you must answer in order to set the right priorities given what needs a neighborhood is or is not meeting.
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An iPhone or Healthcare?
Last week, Congressman Jason Chaffetz explained that people of low means would just have to make the (false) choice between an iPhone and health care. This week's blog extends the logical fallacy behind this false dichotomy to how decisions are made with regard to placemaking. Is placemaking an iPhone or health care or both?
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Actually...Many Roads (Sidewalks?) Lead to Rome...
What are the top five things I can do to boost walkability? I get asked a version of this question a LOT. Like, ALL. THE. TIME. I get it. It's the Twitter era (nope, not going there...). 140 characters or bust. People want easy answers, simple solutions, soundbite fixes - even when the problems are complex...especially when they're complex. Nuance? Details? Qualifiers? That's for academics (yeah, no kidding!). This is why articles like "4 ways to make a city more walkable" and "7 simple ways to make every city friendlier for pedestrians" are such effective click-bait and why there are so many "walkability checklists." But can you really create a formula for walkability, livability, great places?
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There's No Place Like Home
After two long months and a long, all-hands on deck February, we finally submitted our SBIR Phase II proposal with one day to spare! And after what seemed like an especially long trek from NYC to Shanghai, I finally got "home." This got me thinking of the meaning of home. And of course, how place contributes - or not - to that feeling of welcomeness, attachment, and belonging...home.
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Why Cities Are Zombies...
Ok, your city's not like literally a zombie. But definitely figuratively! Find out why you're likely among the "undead" and more importantly, what you need to start doing, like yesterday, to bring your city back to life. Yes, it involves data! Read the last of our "best ofs" - and get three for one and a video bonus (if you prefer to be visually delighted and want to hear my incurable, impassioned Cuban accent). We are (finally) wrapping up our SBIR Phase II proposal and we'll be back with new content next Tuesday! Thanks for sticking with us during our Flashback February!
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5 Ways Data Can Help Cities Persist (and Win) the Fight for Walkable Places: The Case of Long Island
Given the recent national calls to "persist," the story of Long Island's long quest toward walkability seemed like a timely one to revive. They and other auto-oriented cities, have been navigating the tough path from stripmall-lined 6-lane arterials to sidewalk-laced tree-lined storefronts, struggling to overcome the many legal, bureaucratic, and fiscal speed bumps along the way, while dealing with naysayers bent on jamming up their path! We discuss how State of Place arms cities with the data they need to not just persist, but overcome those hurdles, fight the opposition and win on walkability!
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Build It and They Might Come...
Today, we open up with another topical conversation (especially given the state of our political discourse): the importance of nuance and how glossing over them can lead us to create false equivalencies and/or overstep, both in terms of promises we make or fears we spur. I wrote about this several years ago when walkability was just starting to hit the mainstream (good) but it was being offered as a panacea for all city problems (not good). But as with politics, the devil's in the details...Hope you enjoy our discussion about what to expect - and what not to - from the built environment in our quest to make cities more healthy, livable, and sustainable.
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The Misadventures of My Very First “American” Bus Ride
This week, we have two reasons to yet again bring back an "oldie but goodie:" 1) Much-needed levity after a dizzying week and 2) We're hard at work preparing our application for Phase II funding from the Small Business Innovation Research program from the NSF! We've got some SUPER cool stuff planned. Get it touch to find out what we've got up our sleeves. In the meantime, without further ado, please enjoy one of the most embarrassing tidbits I've ever shared about my pre-PhD urban mobility naiveté (or, you could argue, the precursor to my post-PhD absent-mindedness) - my very first bus ride...and of course, how urban data and analytics can help others avoid my nails-on-the-chalkboard-level-of-humiliation story.
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Walking More Makes You Fat...
That my friends, is an "Alternative Fact." We don't normally do this (although nothing about the beginning of this year has been "normal"), but instead of bringing you a new blog post this week, we're revisiting one of last year's most popular posts, prophetically (or ominously) published on the eve of the election - about you guessed it, FACTS - the real kind - and the importance thereof. Due to the new president's senior advisor, Kellyanne Conway's recent interview with CNN's Chuck Todd, where she explained that Sean Spicer, the White House Press Secretary, had simply offered "alternative facts" about crowd size at the inauguration, we felt a reprisal of the discussion of the role of facts was imminently more important than it was when this post was first published. We'd love your comments on how best to ward off "alternative facts!" Please see our original post below...
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Oh, The Places We'll Go (Together)
What were the most pressing challenges and concerns for you awesome, relentless warrior place-makers in 2016? And how can we help you (if you would honor us with the privilege) help you crush them in 2017? Today's blog reveals the top four challenges faced by cities and developers who are creating walkable, livable places based on our discussions with over 100 of you so far! In preparation for the official launch of our newly updated software that helps cities create and justify better places, we want to know if these challenges resonate with you and learn more about your placemaking pains. But most importantly, we want to explore how State of Place can help you identify the kinds of changes that would maximize both quality of life and economic development as well as arm you with the data you need to justify the need to invest in these projects and convince all the naysayers. In other words, we want to help save you time, money, agony - and give you back a little bit of your peace of mind - in 2017...
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The (Place) Doctor Will See You Now
On today's blog, we tell the story of Tigard - an all too familiar tale a post-WWII, auto-dominated U.S. suburb trying to make it in a world that is increasingly demanding more walkability. Our user story shows how we help the “Tigards” of this world address the all-too-common pains that come along with curbing an auto-addiction…We detail how we help cities use data and analytics to more effectively actualize their visions and justify the need to do so, and by proxy, help cities attract more residents, retailers, employers, and quality developers and, increase their economic and environmental resiliency.
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Step on the (Place) Scale
Ah the new year! A time when we reflect on all that we've accomplished (hopefully!) in the past year, as well as make (sometimes lofty) plans and resolutions for "the new me." But making successful resolutions that stick is hard work...because it involves making changes, which is no easy feat (especially for cities, since that usually means getting others on board too)! Dropping 15 pounds, quitting smoking, organizing your closet, or creating better places (our wheelhouse!) can be difficult without the right tools and support. Although we can't help organize your closet, we can provide cities with an invaluable tool to achieve their place quality resolutions - to help make your neighborhoods and communities more walkable, livable, irresistible. Here's how...
This week's blog will explain why you first have to step on the (place) scale to figure out where you're starting from, explain what the "scale" is telling you, and show you how our data and analytics serve as "walkmap" for you to follow on the "sidewalk" to success!
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Send (Us) on Our Way...
We hope you have been having an amazing holiday season so far and are gearing up to say good riddance to 2016, ahem, sorry, to welcome 2017! While this past year certainly had its ups and downs (which is pretty much par for the course in the startup world anyway!), we wanted to take the time to reflect on all of the exciting steps we've taken toward helping you make the case for better places and give you a sneak peek into what we've got in store for the ever-anticipated 2017..
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12 Amazing Last-Minute Gifts for Urban Planners and Data Geeks!
Our recent blog about our five favorite walkable, shopping streets to hit up for Small Business Saturday was so successful, we thought we’d follow it up with our top last-minute gift ideas for the urban planner or data geek in your life! Each awesome State of Placer has revealed their top three picks for the holiday season, guaranteed to arrive in time for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Three Kings Day (Los Reyes Magos), Festivus or whatever other holiday you're celebrating this season. Check them out below
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Suburban Mom: English(wo)man in...(Surburban) Detroit?
This is the first of our COO Michelle Drouse Woodhouse's Suburban Mom series about placemaking - and the State of (Suburban) Place(s). In the first installment in this series, Michelle reflects back on her very urban, spontaneous life sans-kids and how both the introduction of her two daughters and her move to the suburbs of Detroit have influenced her understanding of place and the importance of mobility, inclusivity, and choice.
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Deck the Malls?
The Role of "Place" in the Mall vs. "Tech Battle"
A couple of weeks ago, I went to Houston to attend the wedding of one of my dearest friends. All nuptials-related events went smoothly, except my trip to the (in)famous, Houston Galleria...Now, Houston has always held a special place in my heart. Many of you may not realize that Houston - of all places - was the birthplace of State of Place! Ever since, I've had an odd-couple-like love affair with Houston - I mean, it’s not like Houston is exactly known for its “State of Place.” But I suppose I was endeared by the sense of exploration it engendered. But driven by the need to quickly purchase two essential items for my friends' wedding, I decided to forgo my preferred exploratory Houston shopping method and hit up the Galleria. What ensued was a comedy-of-errors type experience - and of course, a harkening back to my dissertation days when I was studying the roll of malls in our society. Ten years later, it was interesting to think about what is key to ensuring the success of traditional, regional malls...
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Pots, Pans, and Place?
After hearing the news of Fidel’s death, I immediately logged onto CNN to watch live video coverage. I knew it was only a matter of time before Cubans spilled over into the streets of Miami - banging pots and pans next to, of course Versailles and also, La Carreta, in my very own “Weh-che-steh.” Despite the lack of true public space, Cubans, as they oft - and are known to - do, persevered and took matters into their own hands. They crafted their own space of expression, even though they lacked a physical place in which to do so...But despite the beautiful freedom of expression on display in Miami on Saturday, the lack of public space - true public space - was never more glaring, and disappointing, to me. We - as planners and urban designers - we know better. We failed them. We failed to provide true public space - a cornerstone of our democracy. We failed to do our part in shaping our free Republic.
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