Another way to live

So I am one of “those” people.

Who am I you may ask. I am a completely car-free urban planner. No, I am not crazy and I am not a “tree hugger.” I do, however, believe in smart growth, walkable communities and mixed uses. In my line of work I am not alone in these beliefs but often when you dig a little deeper you find urban planners with these beliefs living the car dominated suburban “dream.” I like to practice what I preach so for the last three years I have been totally car-free living in northwest Washington, DC while working in Baltimore – approximately 40 miles from my home.

Postcard from the Colorado Front Range: Building transit as fast as they can

Historic Postcard of Colorado State Capitol, Denver, CO

“Build as much as we can, as fast as we can, until it’s all done!”

That’s the mantra of Colorado’s FasTracks program.

Postcard from Crested Butte: Bicycles as form and function

Crested Butte, COLORADO – This town is cited by many as a location where the sport of mountain biking began. It is also known as “the last great Colorado ski town.” True – but that tells only part of the story of this unique community nestled nearly 30 miles north of U.S. 50 deep in the Colorado Rockies. With a year-round population of just under 1,500 persons and an estimated seasonal population of more than double that number, it would be tempting to think of Crested Butte as “just another Colorado ski town.” That would be a mistaken impression since many, if not most, Colorado ski towns are auto-focused. That is clearly not the case in Crested Butte. The town is a model for how residents, planners and town officials can create and retain a human-scaled community where walking and bicycling are the main transportation choices for residents and visitors alike.

The Anacostia River’s Great Outdoors

Its website touts “Get away from automobile traffic and experience nature!” One of the most significant stream renewal projects in the entire Mid-Atlantic, the Anacostia River is a fully functional and economically thriving river system. To achieve restoration of the Anacostia watershed will take more than merely cleaning up the river. This is a partnership of local, state and federal agencies working toward community revitalization efforts in the watershed and adjacent Port Towns.

Finding Smart Growth along the GAP Trail

A seldom discussed element of Smart Growth involves trail corridors and the ability of communities large and small to create profitable businesses, home-grown employment opportunities and a renewed sense of place along abandoned rail lines and other newly developed multi-purpose trail corridors.

David and Jamie on GAP Trail

An exceptional example of rural recreational tourism-related Smart Growth can be found in the communities along the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) Trail in Southwestern Pennsylvania and Allegany County, Maryland.

Last month, Jamie Bridges of the Baltimore Metropolitan Council and I bicycled 215 miles on the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) Trail and the C&O Canal. It was a superb and highly memorable bicycle outing to check out the route for a possible future Maryland Department of Planning bicycle ride from Pittsburgh to Cumberland on the scenic and historic GAP Trail.  What was to be unique cycling adventure also turned into a lesson on the economic benefits of long-distance trail facilities on municipalities and boroughs along an extraordinary rail to trail link between Pittsburgh and Cumberland.