It’s Legal to Run Lights... and Other Things You Might Not Know About Cycling

Myth busting time: that infuriating thing you saw a bicyclist do the other day? They were probably doing it for a reason, that reason probably had to do with safety, and it might not have been against the law after all.

Byron, Bikeability, Top StoryAubrey ByronSeptember 11, 2018STROADS, bicycling, Safety, bike lanes, page highlight

But Rich People Live Here, So We Can't Be Going Broke!

If your growth strategy only works as long as wealthy people live in your town, your growth strategy is deeply fragile.

Why We Need to Talk About Car Aggression

As a cycling advocate, I avoid talking about the times when riding a bike in the city is scary, because I don’t want to deter would-be new riders from giving it a try. There’s only one problem with pretending I’m never afraid: it isn’t true.

Byron, #SlowtheCars, Top StoryAubrey ByronAugust 31, 2018bicycling, pedestrian safety, speed, page highlight

Winning is the Absence of Losing

The most important thing for a local government is to avoid ruin.

Marohn, Top Story, StrategiesCharles MarohnAugust 20, 2018antifragile, Risk, #OrderlyButDumb, page highlight

The Catch-22 of Retrofitting the Suburbs

Two large development projects currently working their way through the public engagement and approvals process illustrate why suburban retrofit is a really tough proposition to stake our future on.

The Activation Energy of a Walkable Place

Is it magical thinking to expect the transition from car-dependent to walkable places to happen organically? When, and how, do we need a catalyst to jump-start that process?

A LOSing Proposition

By overemphasizing vehicle Level of Service (LOS) we justify expensive, overbuilt streets that are dangerously inhospitable to people—just so drivers won’t be inconvenienced during peak travel times.

"I Don't Give a (Bleep) About Akron!"

Akron, Ohio’s subsidies for redevelopment of the failed Rolling Acres mall are a textbook case of the sunk cost fallacy: the tendency to examine new opportunities not on their own merit, but in the context of past investments.

Marohn, Akron, Economic Development, Top StoryCharles MarohnAugust 13, 2018Economic Gardening, TIF, subsidies, #OrderlyButDumb, page highlight

Growing Lasting Wealth in Cobb County

Communities like Cobb County must address the problems that have plagued them from the outset by encouraging the style of development that produces true value per acre.

#DotheMath, Nielsen, Top Story, Urban3Connor NielsenAugust 8, 2018Cobb County, page highlight, Value Per Acre

Cobb County’s Triple-A Bond Rating is a Joke

County leadership continually brags about its low tax rate and high amount of services. But if you doubt the fundamental math behind that equation, there’s no need to look behind the curtain because the ratings agencies have given Cobb top marks.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnAugust 7, 2018debt, Cobb County, local government, page highlight, Growth Ponzi Scheme

Most Public Engagement Is Worse Than Worthless

Nothing good comes of public engagement in which the public isn’t asked questions they can meaningfully contribute to answering. This is not how you build a trusting relationship: a strong foundation on which to work together. This is how you corrode trust.

Niagara’s Fall and Asheville’s Unlikely Rise

70 years ago, these two historic cities were on a similar path. Then one fell into debt while the other was swimming in money. You might be surprised by what they each look like today.

Most Public Engagement is Worthless

It is the experiences of real people that should guide our planning efforts. Their actions are the data we should be collecting, not their stated preferences.

“Why Are Developers Only Building Luxury Housing?”

"Developers in my city are only building luxury housing. They're not building anything that ordinary people can afford." If you’ve said this lately, or heard someone else say it, here are five possible reasons why.