by zdehondt | Mar 11, 2013 | Civic Leadership, Global Urban Study, Large-scale Planning, Placemaking, Public space, retail, Streets, Uncategorized, Urban Insights, Urban Research, Walkability and Non-Motorized Systems
Working with the IWB to identify Innovative Strategies for Cities A couple of weeks ago, one of my Archive DS partners, Dorian Moore and I participated as studio advisors for a large multi-team charrette at the Institute Without Boundaries (IWB), located at Toronto’s...
by zdehondt | Feb 5, 2013 | Civic Leadership, Large-scale Planning, Placemaking, Public space, retail, Streets, Uncategorized, Urban Insights, Urban Research, Walkability and Non-Motorized Systems
Parking Planning for Pedestrian Activity Many communities are realizing the need to make their downtowns, districts and neighborhoods more pedestrian-friendly. As they work to achieve this, it is important to recognize the numerous ways that municipalities can...
by zdehondt | Dec 4, 2012 | Civic Leadership, Placemaking, Streets, Uncategorized, Urban Insights, Urban Research, Walkability and Non-Motorized Systems
There has been extensive dialogue about the way that the built environment has been created since the end of the Second World War in 1945. That was a seminal point in global history, where cities of the world started to build and rebuild themselves after severe...
by zdehondt | Nov 27, 2012 | Global Urban Study, Placemaking, Streets, Uncategorized, Urban Insights, Walkability and Non-Motorized Systems
The study of urban spaces has a long established history. Urban cultural critic, Louis Mumford studied spaces as they related to the function of urban life. Renowned urban researcher William Whyte studied the way the design of spaces affected human behavior....
by zdehondt | Nov 12, 2012 | Placemaking, retail, Streets, Uncategorized
Must we shop? Our capitalistic society is based on consumption. When the economy gets tough we are given tax breaks and told to “go out and spend” to revitalize the economy. Shouldn’t we be saving? During the “boom years” entertainment retail was seen as the...
by zdehondt | Nov 5, 2012 | Civic Leadership, Global Urban Study, Placemaking, Streets, Uncategorized, Urban Insights, Walkability and Non-Motorized Systems
Question: Why did the pedestrian cross the street? Answer: To enjoy a positive, walkable built environment Many may think that the answer should have been “to get to the other side”. In truth, the more commonly known answer, “to get to the other side” falls a bit...