walkability
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Overinvesting in energy efficiency, on purpose
How can we get more energy efficiency without additional growth -- that is, avoid the rebound effect? David Roberts thinks overinvesting in efficiency could open up intriguing possibilities.
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Mexico City cuts crime by banning cars
Banning cars from Mexico City's Centro Historico and replacing streets with pedestrian pathways has increased nighttime foot traffic and decreased crime, say local business owners. Before the street got pedestrianized, neighborhood business owners used to strike "unspoken" agreements with the local thieves, says Rogelio Murrieta, who owns a printing business on Regina. "The thieves who […]
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IKEA to design an entire neighborhood
Exciting news for those whose entire house is populated by IKEA furniture (we know you're out there): the Swedish furniture company is going to be building an entire neighborhood in London. We know. It'll be like living in the IKEA store! With a Swedish meatball shop on every corner and 24/7 access to lingonberry jam. […]
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What can trick-or-treaters tell you about the health of your neighborhood?
When my brother and I were little, around this time of year we loved to watch The Halloween Tree, an animated feature based on a Ray Bradbury book of the same name. The movie opens with Bradbury himself narrating: It was a small town by a small river and a small lake in a small […]
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Walk Score's new apartment finder lets you build your perfect commute
Sure, there's a tool for finding the apartment with, say, the most bars in walking range. But eventually you're going to need to go to work, and if your commute is miserable, even having a bar for every day of the month won't save you. (Though it'll help.) Luckily, the Walk Score guys have put together a new tool that lets you search for an apartment based on how long it'll take you to get there from work.
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Move to New York, save the planet
New York City's transportation commissioner wants you to come clog up her roads and subways. "If you want to save the planet, move to New York," Janette Sadik-Khan said at a Clinton Global Initiative panel discussion on Tuesday. Thanks to dense, car-light living, she said, New Yorkers have a third of the carbon footprint of the average American.
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Florida is the worst state for pedestrian safety
If you live in Florida and don't have a car, you may want to invest in a heavy steel overcoat. Florida is home to four of the top four most dangerous metropolitan areas for pedestrians -- Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Miami. In the wake of the Raquel Nelson case, the New York Times has turned its reporting eye on pedestrian fatalities, and the scene on Florida streets is pretty depressing:
Sidewalks are viewed as perks, not necessities. Crosswalks are disliked and dishonored. And many drivers maniacally speed up when they see someone crossing the street.
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Net zero living in a walkable neighborhood
A historic house in Ann Arbor generates more energy than it consumes, is located in a walkable neighborhood.
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Announcing this year's most walkable cities
Walk Score has announced its 2011 list of most walkable cities, with a twist -- this year there's also a "fan favorite" category, where you can vote for what city you think is the easiest to navigate on foot.