Fresh Stories: Human Centered Design & 12 others
April 6, 2023 Edition
Curated by Konveio
In this week’s newsletter, you’ll uncover new insights on how urban trails can improve climate change, how walkable planning can help community health, and learn how a city is reconnecting to the economic mainstream after 6 decades.
Don’t hesitate to reach out with recommendations, we’re always looking for your input!
Lauren Sibley
EngagingCities Editor
Featured Story
Human Centered Design
We need to be focused on human centered design, being creative to make places where people feel safe and comfortable. Sometimes that can be hard especially in big cities that have been largely built out. Finding space to accommodate parks can be difficult, that is why we need to be creative.
— Shared by Jana La Sorte
Amplifying Progress
EngagingCities shares stories by our network of community builders that collaboratively plan for a brighter, cleaner, and more equitable tomorrow.
Featured stories from the last two weeks:
🔥 Hot Takes
🎤 Urban Trails Necessary to Climate Change
Even if great trails exist, you might be asking how realistic it is to change people’s transportation habits. The goal, though, is not only to create good trails but to create a lifestyle. A lifestyle that doesn’t require a car for every trip. Urban trails save money on gas, and they add green space, thereby improving air quality and reducing surface temperatures in urban areas. A good trail system will meet all these goals.
— Shared by Sadiya Muqueeth
🎤 Tiny but Mighty - Microgreens could be the solution to food production and creating a sustainable future.
— Shared by Aura Stewart
🎤 Designing for Community - Community gardens provide a viable path for urban placemaking as they offer multifaceted socio-ecological benefits.
— Shared by Nourhan Bassam
🎤 Rural Urbanist Towns - Can rural American towns match the walkable and vibrant atmosphere of their European counterparts?
— Shared by Austin Cassidy
📝 Insights
💡 Walkable Neighborhoods and Public Health
The more we are able to access by walking the more natural exercise we give ourselves. It is incredible that by simply designing our cities and neighborhoods around pedestrians instead of cars, we can lower the risk of health issues in our communities.
— Shared by Ronald Macfarlane
💡 The National Risk Index - Dataset that illustrates U.S. communities most at risk during natural disasters.
— Shared by Kristy Huang
💡 Parking Lots Eat Cities - Downtowns have many problems, but parking should be at the top of the list.
— Shared by Jamie Portolese
💡 The Power of Sustainability - Amazing rooftop garden located in the heart of Manhattan.
— Shared by Tony Sclafani
🥳 Success Stories
✅ Reviving a City of Broken Promise
The disregarding of communities with struggling economies is detrimental not only to the community itself but also surrounding communities. We can’t keep bypassing cities because of their poorer status. We should be investing in all cities to maintain them, keep them safe, and keep them growing economically.
— Shared by Simon Bluestone
✅ Rhode Island Cemetery Week - Celebrating local history and promoting historic preservation.
— Shared by Andrea T. Baranyk
✅ Building on the City's Past - Turning brick-and-mortar eyesores into coveted housing and magnets for business expansion.
— Shared by Marcus D.
✅ Fort Wayne's Revival - Centering artists in that city's revitalization, alongside adaptive reuse and a stunning riverfront.
— Shared by Jonathon Glus
🗓 Upcoming Events Mark your calendars
Webinar: 4/10 Urban Planning Basics Shared by Eric Aderneck
Do you have interesting resources, events, etc. to share?
Send us your tips to hello@engagingcities.com
