Top 5 Stories from the Week (Jan 7–Jan 11, 2019)

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1. 2 Photos Reveal Why the Key to Slowing Traffic is Street Design, Not Speed Limits

by Daniel Herriges | January 8, 2018

Two simple photos show the difference between a street simply designated 20 miles per hour, and one actually designed to be safe. We can't regulate our way to safety.

2. How a Local Bookstore Can Make Your Town Richer—In More Than One Way

by Kea Wilson | January 8, 2018

Can a humble corner bookstore make your city wealthier and more resilient? These small businesses have surprising staying power—and in many ways are an indicator species of a strong neighborhood.

3. What the Explosion of the Dollar Store Says About the State of Our Cities

Upzoned Podcast | Kea Wilson and Chuck Marohn | January 4, 2018

The dollar store might seem like a smaller, friendlier alternative to the big box. But its proliferation tells us something powerful about the way we build our towns.

4. Growth and the Fallacy of Control

by Daniel Herriges | January 9, 2018

The pitfalls of rapid growth are real. But trying to micromanage how, where, and even if our cities are allowed to grow is not the answer.

5. When Traffic Engineers Can’t Hear You

by Chuck Marohn | January 7, 2018

When an intersection checks all the boxes on the traffic engineer’s checklist—efficient flow, reduced crash rate, check—but remains a completely hostile place for humans, and we point that out, what happens? Often, the engineers don’t even seem to hear what we’re saying.

(Cover photo by John Michael Thomson on Unsplash)