http://www.alexblock.net a work in progress... Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:25:09 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Near the soon to be opened and fantastic Park at the Yards, there's a lot of new low-impact development infrastructure.  These bioretention areas should be a great example of the new kind of both urban and environmentally sustainable infrastructure can be. These are not ordinary tree boxes.  Instead of draining into ... http://www.alexblock.net/?p=1755 There's been a horde of great parking posts in the last few days: First, Jarrett Walker documents San Francisco's new adventure in market pricing for on-street spaces: The goal is to ensure that there's always a space available, so that people stop endlessly driving in circles looking for parking.  People ... http://www.alexblock.net/?p=1749 Last week, Jarrett Walker had a great post illuminating the basic reasons for 'frequency mapping,' where a transit agency maps out transit routes that meet some threshold for frequent service (such as buses every 10 minutes, or 15 minutes, etc). There are many degrees of frequency and span, but in general, ... http://www.alexblock.net/?p=1739 As a nice respite to DC's heat, I was able to spend the last week in California - including several days in San Francisco.  Some thoughts and observations from the trip: Hills and Grids: Gridded streets have plenty of benefits, to be sure - but the downside is that they do ... http://www.alexblock.net/?p=1716 [caption id="attachment_1711" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Museo Guggenheim Bilbao - from La Tête Krançien"][/caption] Mammoth directs our attention to this post from LA Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne, talking about the systemic flaws of lists of the best buildings (and architecture criticism in general): When Vanity Fair magazine recently released the results of a survey ... http://www.alexblock.net/?p=1710 [caption id="attachment_1702" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Amtrak and Union Pacific trains pass each other. Photo by SP8254."][/caption] While American passenger rail often leaves much to be desired, our freight rail network is second to none.  This privately owned and operated network often finds itself at odds with desires for increased passenger service and ... http://www.alexblock.net/?p=1697 [caption id="attachment_1684" align="alignright" width="331" caption=""we are all witnesses" - partie traumatic"][/caption] I'm back from a summer blogging vacation.  It's still damn hot in DC. "I'm going to take my talents to South Beach." The inescapable news in the sports world last week was LeBron James' decision on where to play professional basketball.  ... http://www.alexblock.net/?p=1680 Back in March, the New York Times featured DC WASA's (now DC Water) new director, George Hawkins, talking about the challenges of dealing with aging water and sewer infrastructure in American cities.  The piece lays out the challenges facing most American cities, currently resting on our laurels of the investments ... http://www.alexblock.net/?p=1670 [caption id="attachment_1666" align="alignright" width="350" caption="A streetcar speeds by in Toronto. CC image from Matthew Burpee."][/caption] Jarrett Walker has a wrap-up post on his debate with Patrick Condon on the need for speed in urban transit.   Condon is a professor of sustainability, not a transportation planner or engineer, and his view is ... http://www.alexblock.net/?p=1662 The New York Times' oil map now includes a close-up of the landfall area around the Gulf Coast. In Sunday's Washington Post, Ezra Klein provides some much-needed context as to the true cost of oil, and in turn the gasoline we buy to power our cars.  The key part is ... http://www.alexblock.net/?p=1652