Design

Walkability is synonymous with less traffic, a higher quality of life, and more vibrant streetscapes. A new Brookings Institution study—Walk this Way: The Economic Promise of Walkable Places in Metropolitan Washington, D.C., by Christopher B. Lienberger and Mariela Alfonzo—highlights the economics behind walkabaility, and why walkable areas are worth more than previously thought.

Here is a section of sidewalk in Boston made from brick pavers. It’s clear that the lack of uniform sizes and heights could pose challenges for the disabled or elderly pedestrian. Photo credit Seldom Scene Photography.

Designers, planners, and members of the public have recently come into conflict over Boston’s historic use of molded brick in sidewalks and public spaces.  Some think the use of bricks represents the face of Boston, while others condemn them as obstacles to the disabled and elderly. The different viewpoints amount to an ownership debate on the city’s public space.

The City’s Commission for Persons with Disabilities maintains that traditional, molded bricks are unable to provide the smooth surfaces (meaning no height variations greater than a quarter of an inch) that the Americans with Disabilities Act requires. However, other professionals (landscape architects, historical preservationists, and the brick industry) affirm that the material itself is not to blame, but rather improper installation and maintenance. 

Entrepreneurial American Community Award

For the City of Atlanta's collaborative efforts and creativity in developing the Beltline Project.

Two Los Angeles designers want you to bomb the forgotten spaces of your city. The duo repurposes gumball machines into street-side “seed bomb” dispensers, now popping up in cities across the country. The “bombs” are a mixture of clay, compost and seeds that users throw anonymously into parking medians or sidewalk cracks, temporarily infusing a bit of green into an otherwise gray urban site. Read more about the “GreenAid” seed bomb project here.

Entrepreneurial American Community Award

For their role in strengthening Denver’s public elementary schools and their surrounding neighborhoods by designing new multi-dimensional school playgrounds.

Asheville, NC

Organizations team up to provide unique, affordable housing and revitalize a struggling community.