Polluted Air

Graph by Martha Klang McGill

Urban Pollution has a major impact on the health of cities' populations and is also a good indicator to the level of combustible engine congestion on the city's road network. Of course, there are issues of industrial activity in the city and also the local climate, but there is no doubt that more focus on a sustainable transport network based on clean energy sources can dramatically improve the air quality of cities such as LA and Houston, Texas.

10 principles for livable transportation

Last week, the Institute of Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) released 'Our Cities Ourselves: 10 Principles for Transport in Urban Life', a publication co-authored by Jan Gehl outlining “ten keys to building successful cities” and “show[ing] how cities from New York to Nairobi can meet the challenges of rapid population growth and climate change while improving their competitiveness.”

Transportation is a public health issue

Percent of Obese (BMI > 30) in U.S. Adults

A recent report here in Ireland revealed that in over 55% of pregnant women giving birth last year at one of the primary maternity hospitals in the country were overweight (43%) or clinically obese (13%). Hot on the heels of these shocking statistics we are looking at the correlation of public health and tranport, something that the United States in only getting to grips with in recent years.

In the United States of Obesity, transportation is a public health issue. As profiled in the recently released report from the Trust for America's Health, "F as in Fat", obesity rates continue to rise across the US, increasing the risk of serious health problems like diabetes and hypertension. To solve the obesity epidemic, the data suggest, Americans need to rethink their dependence on the automobile.

L.A. plans freeway system for bikes

L.A. officials currently has plans aloof to retrofit the city of angels into a more bicycle-friendly city. Comments on the plans have been both positive and negative, with some people finding the maps over-elaborate and confusing. To address this, a group of L.A. cycle activists have created their own map named the 'Central Los Angeles Backbone Bikeway Network' (shown below).

Cities for the people | Jan Gehl, Gehl Architects

Jan Gehl graduated from Architecture in 1960, a time to him represents an all time low point in city planning, when architects were big and people were quite small. After marrying a psychologist he started questioning why architecture solely focused on form and did not focus at all on people? For Jan Gehl, Architecture is the interaction between form and life. Cue Jan Gehl’s one stone, five birds policy. If you are sweet to people it is possible to create Lively, Attractive, Safe, Sustainable, and Healthy cities. Modernism, one of the evil of society according to Mr. Gehl, interpreted cities as bad and buildings as good. 1960, the year he graduated was also the year when post-war reconstruction started big time. At the same time there was an invasion on the city ten years after the war, the car invasion. Of course cheap petroleum fuelled this and all the city planner’s energy went into trying to make the car happy. Using Westport, a small town in the west of Ireland as an example, he argues that as a result of the car invasion, human dignity was being eroded. The ideologies of modernity need to be broken.

New 30km/h Speed limit in Dublin

AS EXPECTED, motorists have criticised and environmental groups have welcomed the extension of the 30km/h speed limit zone in Dublin city centre. The AA has described the move as a “misapplication” of speed limits that it said other cities had primarily restricted to residential areas. The Dublin Business Association expressed concerns about car-borne shoppers going elsewhere.

Cycling in Dublin

'preventing the bicycle's movement' is a beautiful photograph taken by my friend Sasa Grujic during her stay with us in Dublin. It is pretty apt for the way I feel about how the city is addressing the issue of lack of cycling infrastructure.