A few things to know this week: January 15, 2021
This week’s things to know:
Walmart, Target, apartment owners sue city over property tax assessments (HNG News)
This one's just a not so subtle reminder that big boxes are not there to serve your community - they're in it for themselves. Sure, they're popular, and yes, they bring jobs and sales tax to the community (albeit rarely as much as they promise). BUT, they consume large amounts of land and infrastructure resources, generate large amounts of traffic, and almost always demand (and get) incentives like 380 rebate agreements, etc. They also produce much less in property tax revenue per acre than more compact, mixed-use development like what you find in downtown or Main Street. They're less adaptable and resilient than smaller spaces and buildings too. And now, more and more of them are protesting their property assessments to reduce the property taxes they pay, as this article explains. Bottom line - if you're in a community that is still obsessing with the big boxes, it's time to reevaluate your priorities and shift your community's culture, policies, and investments toward growing local small businesses that thrive in a more walkable, compact development pattern. It's a key step to cultivating fiscal health and local wealth in your community. -Kevin
Dallas' First Test-bed For Smart-City Transit Tech Receives Funding Through $4M Federal Grant (Dallas Innovates)
One of Dallas’ recent street reconstruction projects is getting another update with a federal grant supplying funds to the project to install and implement “smart” transit technology for the S.M. Wright corridor. Such technology includes traffic signal controllers to communicate with vehicles in order to ease traffic congestion by bettering synchronization of traffic lights and pedestrian crosswalk buttons that are activated by the presence of pedestrians instead of by touch. It will be interesting to see how these intersections and corridor segments benefit from these two technologies as well as others that are listed and detailed in the article. Are there any areas in your city or town that have these technologies already or perhaps could benefit from them in the future? -Ryan
Guide | Asphalt Art (Bloomberg Philanthropies)
This is too vibrant and fun not to share with all of you. A free download made available by Bloomberg Philanthropies, this is a guide to anything and everything you might need to know about using asphalt art to beautify your community. It includes beautiful color photos and case studies from around the globe. Even better, it covers the entire process from beginning the project and assembling a team to maintaining and evaluating the completed project. It's an excellent guide that will no doubt get the people in your community excited about the possibilities. -AJ
Ford among mobility companies researching bike-to-vehicle communications (Washington Post)
While the increase and innovation of everyday technology can be a good thing, do we think that it is the best option when it comes to the pedestrian/motorist relationship? A recent slew of auto manufacturers are instigating research around technology that can allow bikes and cars to communicate with each other in an effort to create a safer shared roadway. The realistic option here could be to invest these research funds into local efforts to make the current streets that are dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians alike safer with protected bike lanes and wider pedestrian walks. Is there a future in which you see this technology coming into your daily life? Is there a valid argument for its prioritization over the tried and true physical infrastructure that can keep pedestrians safe? -Ryan
The Swift, Disruptive Rise of 'Slow Streets' (Bloomberg)
It can be tempting to see a physical improvement like a bike lane or crosswalk as the end goal of planning efforts. However, if those efforts don't build trust, on-the ground efforts can hurt those they were intended to help. This article put words to the tension I've felt between implementing an effort 'right' the first time, vs. taking small steps that have complete community buy-in, and going from there. The argument for the former is that the end goal is reached quicker - however, I've seen protected bike lanes implemented without much regard to context lead to distrust towards bike lanes because the community nearby wasn't fully brought in in the planning process. Laura Bliss highlights examples like this across America where local marginalized communities were confused by 'slow streets' and actually needed a more nuanced solution to solve problems in their everyday lives. I'm challenged to see the world from others' eyes by the way the article highlighted how 'safe streets' isn't always defined by infrastructure, and how implementation must always be driven by on-the-ground experiences over textbook ideals of how cities should be. -Tim
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