weekly walk around the news 8/17/12
Local
The City of Seattle is offering FREE trees! Up to 4 trees per household. Along with the trees, Seattle residents will also receive watering bags, instructions for proper tree care, a coupon for free GroCo compost, and information about ongoing tree care workshops.
National
Portland has launched a pilot program that will allow business owners to convert their on-street parking spots into seating areas known as ‘parklets’ (previously mentioned in last week’s blog). This is as a result of a grassroots effort to bring parklets to Portland. During this trial period, applicants will be asked pay for all the materials and costs associated with construction of the seating area platform. They will also need to pay for a $459 encroachment permit.
Youth in Maryland ages 10-17 presented an audit of Rt 450, a 4-6 lane divided roadway in the town of Bladensburg as well as recommendations for improvement including bike lanes, improved crosswalks and lighting, and adding historic signage to direct visitors to the waterfront.
A new smartphone app called ZapKab allows users to use their smartphones to call a cab in New York City. The app works through broadcasting the phone’s GPS location to taxi drivers in the area who are also using the app. Users can also send additional information to the cab driver such as how many people are in their party or if they need an accessible cab.
International
Ghent, Belgium has added art exhibitions to city buildings for a project called TRACK: A Contemporary City Conversation. The exhibition also includes an outdoor library where anyone can browse for or borrow books
Swiss studio Bernhard Burkard has designed a portable deck chair
for urban pedestrians to rest in.
Other
How to plan optimal routes for walking and biking.
Cities with a strong creative class
(artists, writers, muscians etc) also have a strong entrepreneur class.
The Atlantic Cities compiled a list of pedestrians’ favorite pieces of urban infrastructure
(according to Flickr).