I got a great reception in Sacramento this week. It didn't hurt that I was following in the footsteps of @brenttoderian.bsky.social 's Downtown Livability Strategy! Check it out: www.downtownsac.org/wp-content/u...
27.02.2026 03:44 — 👍 20 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 1
It bears repeating.
You can watch Hammond, Indiana and @jeffspeck.bsky.social partner to make plans for a revitalized downtown.
(documentary produced by Lakeshore Public Media which is available in Chicago on sat, cable, and over-the-air)
My best dressed fans last night in #austin.
@thewaroncars.bsky.social @parkingreform.org
Lost in the culture war surrounding rainbow crosswalks: they save lives.
usa.streetsblog.org/2026/02/09/t...
ACTUAL RESEARCH: Comparison #2
(This is a new one.)
Please help contribute to this real dataset.
Look at these two slides. Just take a wild guess as to the average home value on each street. Reply with two dollar amounts, Street 1 and Street 2.
Your input matters. Thank you!
ACTUAL RESEARCH: Comparison #2
(This is a new one.)
Please help contribute to this real dataset.
Look at these two slides. Just take a wild guess as to the average home value on each street. Reply with two dollar amounts, Street 1 and Street 2.
Your input matters. Thank you!
Speck Dempsey is hiring!
www.speckdempsey.com/joinourteam
Enjoy!
31.12.2025 01:17 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0Thanks for your interest. I’ll be back with more shortly. Don’t give anything away!
31.12.2025 01:16 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Sad to read this today. Deep condolences to all his RAMSA colleagues, friends, and family. Bob Stern was both a true scholar and a captain of industry. I got to work with him in the 90s and was touched by how solicitous he was of this nobody’s opinions.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/27/a...
We are growing a great data set. Anyone else want to weigh in?
05.11.2025 02:35 — 👍 8 🔁 2 💬 2 📌 0Interesting data point in addition. I posted this on X, where I have many more followers than here, and got 1 reply while receiving 8 replies on Blue Sky. I guess all the urbanists ARE here.
02.11.2025 00:15 — 👍 19 🔁 0 💬 2 📌 0
Free talk tomorrow. . . Hope to share with you the amazing story of downtown OKC. Also, I'm giving away my slides at the end. Enticed? gatech.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
30.10.2025 19:29 — 👍 9 🔁 4 💬 1 📌 0No!
16.10.2025 00:58 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Have you been taking my courses on @planetizen?
Try it, you'll like it!
Walkable City 6, The Interesting Walk just dropped today:
courses.planetizen.com/courses/the-...
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS when you run for mayor on a "pull out the bike lanes" platform in Boston.
Yay @wutrain !
@bostonbikeunion
@MassBike
@WalkMass
apnews.com/article/elec...
Rule 101: Dream Big
Cities like NYC & Chicago didn’t just fix problems—they dreamed big. Charleston’s mayor, Joseph Riley’s message was "No one recalls a balanced budget—build a park instead.” His parks now host 5M+ visitors yearly.
Walkable City Rules www.amazon.com/Walkable-Cit...
Yes, UPS gets it right. Thank you for not blocking the bike lane!
08.09.2025 23:10 — 👍 101 🔁 5 💬 1 📌 1
Rule 100: Don't Give Up on Sprawl
Instead of trying to end sprawl, focus on improving it for the people there by reviving town centers, reusing empty malls, & building mixed-use neighborhoods. This is called “Retrofitting Suburbia."
Walkable City Rules www.amazon.com/Walkable-Cit...
Rule 99: Start Code Reform Now
Form-based codes helps walkability by focusing on how spaces look & feel, not just what they’re used for. Start w/a 1 page zoning overlay to guide better development while planning long-term reforms.
Walkable City Rules www.amazon.com/Walkable-Cit...
91: Save Those Buildings
Preservation isn’t only about nostalgia, it also has practical benefits!
- Historic districts thrive in recession & attract small businesses
- It’s greener & less wasteful
- They support diversity & community
Walkable City Rules www.amazon.com/Walkable-Cit...
Rule 65: Provide Angle Parking Where Warranted
Angled parking fits more cars without widening streets & calms traffic by requiring careful backing-in. Tucson switched to rear-angle parking & cut crashes from 1/week to 0 over 4 years.
Walkable City Rules: www.amazon.com/Walkable-Cit...
Rule 98: Do Some Tactical Urbanism
Start w/looking for temporary ways to improve your area, & call it a pilot project. Use "Walk [Your City]", which offers tools 4 guerilla wayfinding signs & ask to do tests instead of costly studies.
Walkable City Rules www.amazon.com/Walkable-Cit...
Rule 97: Rebuild... or Restripe?
In 2012 Cedar Rapids planned a $3M rebuild for 5 blocks, instead they repainted 30 blocks for the same price.
Results: 78%↓ pedestrian crashes, 57 new businesses, 800 homes, 2k jobs & $282M growth
Walkable City Rules www.amazon.com/Walkable-Cit...
Rule 96: A Network of Walkability
Show which streets are best for walking, streets fall into 3 groups:
Priority: Busy but unsafe, fix first
Primary: Decent now, upgrade next
Secondary: Low need now
Walkable City Rules www.amazon.com/Walkable-Cit...
Rule 95: Do a Frontage Quality Assessment & Locate Anchors
See where people want to walk & where they need to go.
Frontage Quality: lively streets, where they want to walk
Anchors: where they need to walk (key destinations ex: shops).
Walkable City Rules www.amazon.com/Walkable-Cit...
Rule 94: Do a Walkability Study
A walkability study helps communities make areas safer and easier for walking and biking by focusing on 4 types of walks:
- the useful walk
- the safe walk
- the comfortable walk
- the interesting walk
Walkable City Rules www.amazon.com/Walkable-Cit...
Rule 93: Direct Your Public Art budget to Blank Walls
Public art is often wasted on plaza sculptures. Cities should use art budgets for murals on blank walls, which, like trees, make streets more pleasant and welcoming.
Walkable City Rules www.amazon.com/Walkable-Cit...
Rule 92: Hide the Parking Structures
Exposed parking decks drain street life & make walking dull. It only takes 20 ft of building to hide 200 ft of parking. Hide parking structures behind buildings; design garages for future reuse.
Walkable City Rules www.amazon.com/Walkable-Cit...
