Mainely Planning
Oil price spikes due to supply/demand and geopolitical concerns, water shortages (Google Lake Mead, Central Valley, CA or the Ogallala Aquifer for details), and soil depletion are just a few of the problems we face. As we move forward, the notion that we can continue with business as usual (BAU) is not going to sustain us.
Thinking creatively and making difficult decisions will test our abilities, push our cultural boundaries and hopefully shape a world where these uncomfortable realities can be dealt with in an equitable and meaningful manner. I write about things I see, think, and work on as I transition from being a planning student into the world of planning. I am neither a technological optimist, thinking we can invent our way out of all our problems, nor a doomer, believing in returning to a world much like pre-industrial times. I believe that our creativity combined with the lessons from the past will be instrumental tools for laying the foundation for the path forward. Some of my ideas may seem radical, others are just based on common sense and keen observations.
Links of Note
Mainely Rural
The Old Pine Tree
Strong Towns
Project For Public Spaces
Streets Blog
Cap'n Transit Rides Again
Human Transit
Pedestrian Observations
Urbanophile
The Broken Sidewalk
Maine Architecture
The Vigorous North
Depot Redux
Reason and Rail
Car Free Maine
Walk Around Portland
A Reason to Plan
Mainely Planning is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
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The Boulevard Proposal has been approved for Masonic Ave. in San Francisco!
SF’s first (and maybe west coast’s? are there any in...
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I have an idea!
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The economic strength of US cities.
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Photo of the Day: Stormy Sunset at Moulton Barn
Photo By: Brian Kerls (Denver, CO); Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming -
'Tis the season of home brew
I’ve been spoiled this month at parties with friends who are particularly good brewers. I’ve really enjoyed Dan’s rye...
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> Some people, who don’t like the idea of toll roads in general, will take these...
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In my daily rounds today I happened upon two picture perfect moments that describe some of my thoughts on institutional priorities at USM. The image immediately below is a bicycle “parked” next to a streetlight, which is used to secure the bike. I looked around the facility and didn’t see any appropriate facilities for bicycle parking. The next building over has a rack, that is often full, however Abromson Hall doesn’t seem to offer any facilities. However, if you look in the background, there is a large multi-million dollar parking garage to accommodate the automobile.
The next picture is worth a few more words. This building didn’t have any adequate facilities that I could see. The cyclist had few options and out of necessity parked his/her bike on the ramp. The background of the photo showcase’s USM’s commitment to the automobile and its temporary daily storage.
In light of USM’s efforts to become climate neutral by 2040, it appears they have made little headway in how to get there. It even appears that they have created a situation where being a cyclist and seeking secure bike parking, means becoming a scofflaw.
First action steps for USM if it really intends on seriously becoming climate neutral:
- put in bike racks at every building entrance
- put in high quality bike racks that aren’t wheel taco makers
- give free coffee coupons to cyclists in recognition that they are making a difference and staying healthy at the same time
- put in covered bike parking
These are just a couple easy steps that might promote sustainable mobility. There are more things that can be done, but start here now!
