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What we count matters

2/18/2019

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Some years ago I read New Zealand economist Marilyn Waring's Book "Counting For Nothing", and watched the follow up documentary "Who's Counting". She has now brought out a follow up book called "Still Counting" with the bi-line "What We Decide to Measure Now is What We Will Prioritize in the Future". Ms. Waring points out that as long as countries use GDP as their main measure of a country's progress; and from that, what the United Nations System of National Accounts (UNSNA) chooses to include in its accounting framework to measure GDP; shapes a country's policies. As long as the UNSNA framework places hurricanes and wars on the positive side of the ledger because of the money spent and earned, but does not count the devastation and loss on the opposite side of the ledger because it isn't measured, then how will we ever produce policies that prioritize general well being and ecological health of our communities?

I have just started to read the book but the thought I woke up with this morning is that in addition to the concept that what we measure impacts our policies; if we create policies but don't put measurements in place to monitor those policies then they will never become priorities.

As an example here in New Rochelle we have a policy document GreeNR, the city's sustainability plan 2010 - 2030. It is an excellent plan, well thought out, created by a group of knowledgeable residents and city staff. It includes ten big goals plus an Action Plan covering topics from Energy and Climate, Resource Conservation and Waste Reduction, through to Transportation and Public Participation and Awareness. Each area of the plan lays out initiatives and goals. For example a waste reduction goal is to "Reduce annual per capita non-recycled solid waste by at least 15% from 777 pounds to 660.5 pounds and increase recycling rate to 50%". This is a clear and measurable goal however the department in charge of waste management does not have the tools to measure progress of this goal. If cities truly want to achieve well being for all residents, and to make inroads on the broader issue of sustainability, policy makers must not just set policy but provide the tools to both implement and measure progress on these policies. Only then will those policies become priories.
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February 04th, 2018

2/4/2018

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 So I went to my city's webiste, ​http://newrochelleny.com/   and looked up the 2018 budget. This is a gold mine of information about New Rochelle.  
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Short term gain, long term liability

1/7/2018

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Municipalities don't have it easy. There is tension between elected officials with an election cycle achievement window, and the need for long term management of city assets.  As Charles Marohn of Strong Towns so eloquently puts it:  "Cities routinely trade near-term cash advantages associated with new growth for long-term financial obligations associated with maintenance of infrastructure". 

Growth is pretty irresistible to cash starved municipalities. If they are lucky enough to have developers asking to build and promising new sewer lines, new roads, and increases to the city's tax base, it is hard for a municipality to say, "wait, let's make sure this development is going to be good for our community long term", much less refusing the development all together. It is so much better to be able to show some shiny new initiatives and increased tax revenues especially when re-election rolls around. And who can blame them? There are short term needs to be met. Garbage to be collected, potholes to be repaired, schools to pay for. That short term revenue is important. The problem is whether the long term returns are adequate to cover the increased infrastructure burden. Sadly, it often is not.

This is where we residents come in. Our job is to ask the hard questions to determine whether the spangly rainbow the developer is holding up is leading us to a pot of gold or a sink hole. Local governments don't always have the capacity to undertake long term analysis and also don't have the time, or maybe more accurately don't believe they have the time, to analyze that rainbow fully before it fades away and lands in some other municipality willing to stake claim more quickly to that pot of rainbow gold. 


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City Rules

12/17/2017

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After a long break away from Urban Afoot while I was working for the City of New Rochelle, I am starting my New Year Resolution early - to get back on line to talk about urban issues.

I often hear people saying they don't like something about their community and then follow it up by saying there is nothing they can do about it, their city council members and city hall are going to do whatever they want anyway. I disagree. There are many things we can do and as we have learned in recent times, democracy is not a spectator sport. So where to start? Let's take a quick look at local rules.

I am a member of the American Planning Association book club and we recently read City Rules by Emily Talen. The subheading of her book is "How Regulations Affect Urban Form". While this may not sound very interesting to many, most municipalities are regulated through their city codes and if you don't like something about the way your municipality is operating, most likely it is the city code that you will want to change.

City codes have been used for good and for not so good. Some were put in place to protect the wealthy, others have been put in place to protect health and well being, still others to protect the vulnerable. They affect the urban pattern - subdivisions, street width, layout, housing, and the spatial arrangement of zoning districts. They affect how land can be used and what use is located where. And they affect form - building lines, setbacks, lot coverage. Form essentially defines space.

A city's code also defines rules for all kinds of things ranging from parking, cemeteries and the sale of Christmas trees.

​For example New Rochelle's city code has a section specifically related to the Salvation Army and when it can solicit contributions in December of each year. City codes are updated regularly as the need or desire arises. Some rules, however, are of long standing. For example New Rochelle under Chapter 231 Peace and Good Order was first adopted in 1965 and includes Article 1 Missiles, Beanshooters and Skateboards that states:

"No bean shooter or other instrument for throwing bullets, stones or beans shall be sold or offered for sale; nor shall any bean shooter or other such instrument be used by any person for throwing bullets, stones or other missiles nor be carried by any person; nor shall any person throw or cast any stone, stick or other missile in, from or to any street or public place.

No person shall use or operate a skateboard in any of the public streets, sidewalks or public places within the City.
§ 231-2Penalties for offenses. [1]
An offense against the provisions of this article shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $250 or by imprisonment for not more than 15 days, or both.
[1]
Editor's Note: Added at time of adoption of Code."


I recommend taking a look at your municipality's code, parts will make good sense, parts are probably outdated, and some parts you may want to change. Codes are living documents that affect our day to day lives and as times change, so too should the code.  So while you are enjoying some time off over the holiday period, go on line and check out your local rules. Leave me a message if you find one you think is either excellent, superfluous, or just downright odd.


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Coast to Coast

6/8/2014

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I've been feeling pretty pleased that our challenge of walking all the streets of New Rochelle is now entering the mop up phase of small pockets to finish with the bulk of streets completed, and then I saw this from Shorpy.  Walking Coast to Coast 'for his health'.  How would that be now?  Plenty of bridges and highways pedestrians are banned from that could make it something of an obstacle course.

Despite our New Rochelle undertaking being dwarfed by this long ago walk I am still pleased we have stuck with our own Walk Your Community Challenge.  We have seen a lot and learned a lot about where we live and even in a small city it is fascinating to see the differences between neighborhoods and the ways public space is used.  More on this later.
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Infrastructure - brand new and outdatedĀ 

5/18/2014

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We were back at Ridge Hill yesterday, a brand new, in fact uncompleted, shopping center on the top of a hill - which probably gave rise to the tautological name - in Yonkers.  The design is sadly 20th Century with remarkably narrow sidewalks and a main street with short term free parking on both sides where passengers stepping out of a vehicle get to balance on a very narrow paved strip or stand in the plantings that run between the road edge and the sidewalk.  If you have mobility issues, or need a wheelchair, forget it. 

On this visit there were noticeably more shoppers and as the whole development is not super big most people leave their cars in the ample parking buildings surrounding the main street and walk between the stores.  Only as the sidewalks fill up it becomes less of a walk and more of a shuffle trying to avoid the street furniture, the plantings, baby strollers, and fellow pedestrians while traffic controllers wearing vests with "pedestrian safety" written on the back do their best to manage both the pedestrians and the cars at the intersections.  Why did the developers not follow the Woodbury Commons example and make the space between the stores pedestrian only???  Why anyone was bothering to drive down the main street instead of using one of the parking buildings is a mystery to me.  I can only assume it falls under the "because it was there" school of thinking. And while at least pedestrians have sidewalks however inadequate, I saw no cycle lanes at all.

The photo immediately below is Ridge Hill and the one below that is Woodbury Commons.


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What I don't understand is how appalling designs like Ridge Hill continue to be built.  The Basin Reserve flyover, a nasty piece of vandalism proposed to run along the edge of an historic cricket ground is being championed by the New Zealand Transport Agency as a necessary piece of infrastructure designed to speed cars into downtown Wellington and back out to the airport. The Agency is ignoring studies in NZ and elsewhere that conclude that the number of cars being driven are decreasing. The weird thing is that the Agency understands enough of the new trend to include a combined pedestrian and cycle way in the flyover design.  It is on one side of the flyover only and is only 3 meters wide (that's less than 10 feet for those still thinking imperial).  It is supposed to handle cyclists and pedestrians travelling in both directions.  Seems like a not very subtle, and a not very safe, piece of lip service to me.

Just to drive the point home if you will excuse the pun, here's a piece from Price Tags about the huge number of unsold cars just hanging out in various parts of the world waiting for enthusiastic drivers to show up with fat wallets. Click on the link below to read the article.
They Just Keep Piling Up 
The photo below is from the same article and shows something of the scale.  It is time to start designing more inclusively, and time for the car manufacturers and car sales yards to scale back.  I'm not anti car but we can do better with our land use in relation to transport choices.


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The Trouble With Shoes

3/1/2014

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I recall years ago having shoes where the uppers and the soles aged at roughly the same rate.  Now the soles wear through while the uppers are still in perfect condition.  What's going on?  My walking boots came with a note from the manufacturer that after five years I should return them for reconditioning (uppers and soles presumably).  I have had these boots for less than a year and a half and to my great disappointment the soles are wearing through already.  


My assumption is that shoe manufacturers create shoes for that elusive 'average' customer.  My walking habits are not average.  I'm not interested in a shoe that is going to look nice poking out from under my desk, or while I'm sitting on a train, a bus or a plane, or in my car but lack functionality.  My shoes need to get me places. Good looks are nice but not my main criteria.  My previous walking shoes were bright orange and while the Welsh saleswoman told me they were 'lush', I thought they were traffic stopping ugly....perhaps not a bad attribute now I think about it.... but I bought them because they were the best fit and comfortable.  The soles on those collapsed after less than a year.


What to do?  I just looked on line and lo and behold heel and toe plates are still available!  I had forgotten about these little gems and will order some for my next pair of walking shoes / boots.


Happy walking!





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Why the pedestrian didn't cross the road

2/19/2014

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The photo below was taken on one of our recent New Rochelle walks...er...mountaineering expeditions.  Conditions like this on nearly every street corner led to me checking the snow removal responsibilities on the city web site and as far as I can tell no one is responsible for clearing corners.  That's right. NO ONE.
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From The City of New Rochelle's website

Snow Removal Responsibility
 In accordance with Section 281-4 of the City Code, it is the responsibility of every owner or occupant of any house or other building and any vacant lot, to keep the sidewalk and fire hydrants clear and clean from snow, ice, and dirt. Snow and ice must be removed from sidewalk abutting their property and fire hydrants before 12:00 noon of the day after any snow fall which occurs during the night. It is a violation of the City Code to place snow into the street or abutting sidewalk.

FAQs from New Rochelle's city website
When are the snow plows sent out?
 The plow operators are dispatched immediately at the beginning of a storm and stay out continually during the storm. They are responsible for clearing over 176 miles of City roads. 

Which streets are plowed first?
 Snow plows first clear primary and major artery streets, school streets, and streets serving emergency response facilities and heavy traffic. 

After those roads are clear, secondary streets are cleared and streets with moderate traffic. Lastly, all other streets, including cul-de-sacs and dead-end streets, are plowed. After a major storm, it may take two to three days for plow crews to clear all the streets. 

What can I do if snow is blocking access to my mail box or driveway?
 During snow plowing operations, the snow from the street will end up in front of driveways and mailboxes. The property owner is responsible for access to his/her individual driveway or mailbox. 

The only way to avoid extra shoveling is to wait until the Public Works crews have done their final clean-up on the street. 

What is my responsibility for snow removal?
 In accordance with Section 281-4 of the City Code, it is the responsibility of every property owner or occupant to keep the sidewalk and fire hydrants clear from snow, ice and dirt. Snow and ice must be removed from sidewalk abutting their property and fire hydrants before 12 noon of the day after any snowfall which occurs during the night.


Nowhere is there anything relating to the clearing of snow from street corners and curb cuts.  It is not even tossed in next to mail boxes and driveways.  And if you do clear a curb cut you it is a violation to put the snow on the street or on an abutting sidewalk.  And the snow plows mound up a LOT of snow on the corners. 

My question is this.  If New Rochelle has made a commitment to inclusive transportation (see GreeNR and Complete Streets 2012 resolution) including issuing this statement: 

"Facilitate and encourage the use of sustainable transportation options, including walking, bicycling, carpooling and mass transit, while also reducing traffic congestion and enhancing the safety and efficiency of transportation routes." (p 16 GreeNR)


....then why is it that the regulations for snow removal do not require SOMEONE - city or residents - responsible for making sure pedestrians can cross streets?  It is hard enough as an able bodied person but imagine trying to negotiate these conditions in a wheel chair, or pushing a stroller, or without sight.  

It is time municipalities did more than simply planning for inclusive transportation.  It is time to take action and develop policies and procedures that reflect their approved plans and resolutions.
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This is for Dave our Charlotte Starbucks friend

2/7/2014

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A few weeks ago we spent several days in Charlotte North Carolina and met Dave while getting a coffee.  He asked what we thought about Charlotte from a pedestrian perspective so this post is for Dave.  

First of all Dave, my apologies for this taking so long.   Charlotte is a bundle of contradictions from a walking perspective and I have been struggling to express my feelings and thoughts about it.  BUT this week we went to a talk  by author and international planning consultant  Jarrett Walker.  Dr. Walker specializes in public transport issues and articulated much of what I felt but couldn't find the words to express.  



To start at the beginning of our Charlotte story the reason we were there was to help out a friend who had recently had surgery and couldn't drive.  This particular week he was home alone and was feeling the loss of his mobility keenly.  This brings me to one of the first points Jarrett Walker made. The ability to get around is freedom.  To me freedom is the ability to walk so the better the walkability of a place the more freedom I have.  To our friend freedom is the ability to drive.  The difference in our views is partly just because of who we are but it is also tied to where we live.  If our friend was in New York City he would not have felt as trapped as he did in Charlotte.  

A little bit of background on Charlotte.  It was incorporated in 1768, trundled along for many years and then recently erupted both upward and outwards.  It is the hub for US Airways, boasts an international airport, and is now one of the largest centers of financial services in the country.  It has an historic center, a lot of new high rise tower office blocks (known as uptown, not downtown) and a LOT of suburban sprawl that seems to grow between every visit we make. 

We were staying just inside the 485 ring road (for those who like visuals, see map) in one of the suburban developments that surround the city center.  I believe that Charlotte is trying to become more transit oriented and walking friendly. There is a light rail with more routes planned, there are over 70 bus routes and most suburban roads we traveled have sidewalks, but it feels like the city's transport plan is suffering from a prolonged stutter.  Developers build neighborhoods - these are not gated communities but they are distinct separate developments.  And most if not all of these neighborhoods have a shopping center nearby.  Some of the shopping centers are quite large and the ones we've seen are truly just shopping centers.  I have not seen a library, a community center, nor an art gallery in any of these.  Technically, these centers are close enough to walk to and many of the developments have sidewalks as they are no doubt required to include. Some of the sidewalks are hard to see because developers like to screen them, making pretty winding paths through the trees.  This brings me to another point made by Dr. Walker.  Paths like these are part of what he refers to as transportation designed for people of leisure  NOT for people trying to get someplace.  Pedestrians who are wanting to get someplace as opposed to going out for a stroll with their dog, will generally take the shortest, easiest route.  Like water.  This is how we end up with desire lines - paths people choose to walk that are not where sidewalks have been provided. 

After walking through a development -on the sidewalk, on the road, or in between - the next part of walking to the nearest shopping center is almost inevitably along an arterial road.   Charlotte engineers clearly 'do' roads and they make them BIG  (they of course have congestion because big roads don't solve congestion but that's a separate topic).  The picture below shows an intersection we walked around that I consider typical for the area.  The traffic engineers have tried to do right by pedestrians.  There is an island in the middle of the intersection to make it safe for those who get stranded in the middle.  There are sidewalks. But it is not what I would call congenial nor friendly. Look at those cars getting ready to race as soon as the light changes! It felt like crossing in front of the starting line at a race track.
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These isolated shopping centers brings us to another point made by Dr. Walker. Places work best when there is a sense of "onward welcome".  This is what makes the Broadway pedestrian plazas work well in Manhattan.  Not only can you stop, sit and enjoy the space but you can see forward down Broadway to other destinations.  Places like these give a sense of opportunity instead of feeling stuck in a single space.  Charlotte's shopping centers are arranged as disconnected destinations, a string of dots stuttering across the map of the city. 

Time for a note about transit - because it is so important to walkability and because it is also important in relation to freedom, the point that this post started with.  Dr. Walker talks of efficiency equaling abundance.  And in the suburbs of Charlotte, despite the 70 plus bus routes, buses are rarely sighted which tells me that the services are not abundant.  The City bus schedule shows that the Providence Road bus runs about every 45 minutes on weekdays, every hour on Sundays and surprisingly every half an hour on Saturdays.  I don't know what is behind the Saturday increase - shopping? sport? low income workers?   Whatever the case Dr. Walker explains the effect of infrequent transit services to drivers by saying "imagine if the gate to your driveway only opened once an hour".  Infrequent and/or poor coverage transit service does not equal freedom.

All of these points are what, I believe, left our friend feeling his loss of freedom so strongly when he was unable to drive.  Infrequent, inconvenient transit, no easily accessible taxis, and no real sense of being able to walk anywhere other than a single shopping center along an arterial road.  

I can't close without mentioning that Charlotte does have a wonderful greenway.  Right now it is also stuttering so it is not a commuter's paradise yet but the plans are there and once the dots and dashes are connected it will be phenomenal.  Even now it is fantastic to walk or cycle along and makes some wonderful wetland areas accessible.


So Dave, do you agree? 
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Where are we?

2/5/2014

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Town boundaries sometimes land in the middle of a block - finding it is generally easy.  In this picture New Rochelle is on the right and Eastchester is on the left.
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    Author: Nina Arron

    I am an enthusiastic pedestrian, urban planner, and project manager currently living in New Rochelle, New York.  I am grateful to be living in a walkable city with affordable easily accessible public transport (both trains and buses). My appreciation became even greater after spending three years back in New Zealand where  it was much harder to fit daily walking into my life in what is considered one of the great natural, green environments in the world.  

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