This Thursday, StreetTalk: "Streets for whom?"

StreetTalk
Streets for whom?
by Barbara Knecht, Director of Design, Institute for Human Centered Design

Thurs, Feb 4, 7-9 PM
@ LivableStreets office, 100 Sidney St, Cambridge

Open to the public. Suggested $5 donation. Complimentary beer provided by Harpoon.

Should Segways be allowed on sidewalks? Should all bicycles travel only in designated bike lanes? Should motorized scooters be treated as if they are wheelchairs? Where should roller blades, skateboards, adult tricycles, bikes with trailers or kick scooters travel? The world of personal mobility is expanding. But all those other modes are having a hard time finding their place on the streets and sidewalks of our cities. It seems someone always thinks one or more of the alternatives is unsuitable. The solution becomes clear if one applies a universal -- human centered -- design approach to the problem. It isn't simple, it is just clear. It ends the discussion about vehicles. It starts a discussion about people and how they can get around in the city. Barbara will discuss the concept of human-centered design and showcase examples of streets in South America, the US and around the world. A Q&A discussion will follow the talk.

Barbara Knecht, R.A. is Director of Design at the Institute for Human Centered Design. She is also co-director of the IHP "Cities in the 21st Century" and a consultant to Westhab, Inc., an affordable housing and community development organization. Ms. Knecht holds a BA from UC Berkeley and a Master of Architecture from Columbia University. She was awarded a Kinne Fellowship, a Loeb Fellowship, and received a Graham Foundation grant. She serves on the Metropolitan Life/Enterprise Foundation Awards for Excellence in Affordable Housing, the Board of Directors of Care for the Homeless, and the Streetscape committee of the Municipal Art Society.

Hosted by LivableStreets Alliance.
For more information: www.livablestreets.info/node/2450, 617-621-1746, events@livablestreets.info

Lunchtime Walk and Street Talk

I have two great events to announce! First, last week's "Little Lanes" walk was a huge hit, with 73 people joining, so we're doing it again tomorrow:

On Thursday, July 16 join WalkBoston for a half-hour walking tour of the "Little Lanes of Boston." This walk takes you through the charming pedestrian passageways of Old Boston, still very much in use as modern shortcuts. During this walk, you will see numerous 18th century lanes between Downtown Crossing and Faneuil Hall.

Join us at 12:15pm at the Information Kiosk on the corner of Washington and Summer Streets.

(Look for other lunchtime walks on Thursdays throughout the summer!)

And next week:

Event: StreetTalk: Mode shift: moving from driving to transit, biking, and walking
"free and open to the public, sponsored by Harpoon Brewery"
What: Lecture
Host: LivableStreets Alliance
Start Time: Wednesday, July 22 at 7:00pm
End Time: Wednesday, July 22 at 9:00pm
Where: Livable Streets Alliance Office, Central Square

To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=102706713699&mid=c82d78G27b0218bG2ee529dG7

Livable Streets Alliance: What we can learn from Spain

LivableStreets Alliance StreetTalk

What we can learn from Spain: urban mobility planning in Barcelona

by Marius Navazo, Urban Planner, Barcelona, Spain

Thursday, June 25, 7:00 - 9:00 pm

@ LivableStreets office space, 100 Sidney Street, Cambridge (directions: www.livablestreets.info/node/530)

This event is free and open to the public, donations suggested, beer/sodas provided compliments of Harpoon Brewery and delivered thanks to Metro Pedal Power!

What are the results of implementing better transit networks, traffic calming zones, and a bike sharing program? Are these measures always environmentally-friendly? Are they enough to create better places to live and enjoy? Learn about the development of urban mobility plans in Greater Barcelona and Catalonia, Spain. See what the Catalan Government is encouraging municipalities to do.

Marius Navazo is a geographer who has been working for the last 10 years in town and regional planning, focused on transportation and its impacts to improve cities from a social and environmental perspective. He has been working at the Catalan Government for the last 4 years, and now he is a freelancer working for different municipalities in the Barcelona area.

(Photograph: a typical day on Les Rambles, Barcelona)

For more information, go to www.livablestreets.info/node/2154

Street Talk: Russ Lopez on Urban Health

LivableStreets Alliance to host Street Talk by Russ Lopez on Urban Health: How shaping our built environment shapes ourselves.
When: Thursday, April 2, 7 - 9 pm
Where: 100 Sidney Street, Central Square, Cambridge

This event is free and open to the public. Donation suggested. Beer/sodas provided compliments of Harpoon Brewery!

"If there’s a supermarket in your zip code, for example, you’re 10% less likely to be obese. If there are a lot of intersections in your neighborhood - a sign of street connectivity and continuity - you’re less likely to be obese. And, not surprisingly, the more time people spend in their cars, the more likely they are to be obese” says Lopez. Come hear Russ Lopez speak about how our built environment – from playgrounds to fast food chains – shapes ourselves.

Russ Lopez, a native of California, is an Assistant Professor at the Boston University School of Public Health. Past employment includes working on urban and environmental issues for then Lt. Governor John Kerry. He also worked for ten years in various positions in for the City of Boston on housing, community development and environmental concerns. Dr. Lopez was the first Executive Director of the Environmental Diversity Forum, a coalition of environmentalists and community activists advocating for environmental justice issues throughout New England.

This event is sponsored by LivableStreets Alliance.

For more information, click here.

PARK(ing) Day

Once again, I'm missing the boat by posting about something late in the game. Bad blogger!

A couple of us just took a short jaunt out of the office to check out the PARK(ing) Day park put together by the Trust for Public Lands and staffed by, among others, folks from LivableStreets.

What's the story? They've taken over a parking spot downtown and converted it to a delightful little park where people were lounging, doing homework, eating lunch.

Next year, I want to see a whole series of these scattered across the city so WalkBoston can lead a walk to visit them!