• A couple of remarkable pieces of New York history surfaced this weekend. One, from 1924, presents plans to fill in the East River to ease congestion and allow for new construction, and the other, from 1934, suggests a similar operation on the Hudson. (Gothamist - pic via and Modern Mechanix)
• An organization issues roadway safety grades for all 50 states based on their implementation of 15 different laws, including text-messaging bans and seat belt laws. Only ten states receive the top “Green” ranking. (DUI Attorney / IIHS)
• Copenhagen has railings and footrests for cyclists to rest against while they’re waiting at stoplights. These small gestures cater to and thank the bicycling community. (Copenhagenize)
• A new book titled “The Landscape of Contemporary Infrastructure” showcases iconic infrastructure projects that contribute significantly to the aesthetic and psychological palette of the places that host them. (UrbanTick)
• Call it holistic infrastructure: All over the world, planners and engineers are assembling projects that acknowledge the intimate relationship between their stated purpose and the environmental, social, and public health issues they influence. (Greentech)
• And one more meta-infrastructural piece: We often fail to think about things like water distribution systems–until they fail to meet our expectations. Check out this little piece on the history of Toronto’s watermains. (Active History)
• At the World Future Energy Summit, a representative from the U.A.E. argued for an International Renewable Energy Agency, and Turkey’s leader said his nation would try to expand the share of its energy that comes from renewables from 20% to 30% by 2023. (GreenTech)
January 18th, 2010 at 8:04 pm
Related to the second tidbit, Oprah talked about distracted driving on her show today (Monday, Jan 18, 2010). You can view a clip on her website where parents talk about the sons and daughters they lost because of distracted driving collisions.
The first family tells the story many Illinoisans (me) know: Matt Wilhelm was riding his bicycle on the road’s shoulder when a 19-year old driver, downloading ringtones and driving in the same direction, killed him.
http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Victims-of-Distracted-Driving-Accidents-Videos
January 19th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
[...] interesting infrastructure projects to throw stimulus money at, here are two good ideas from theInfrastructuristthat would get cars off the roads of New York City and solve the problems of those long delays for [...]
January 20th, 2010 at 8:59 am
[...] interesting infrastructure projects to throw stimulus money at, here are two good ideas from the Infrastructurist that would get cars off the roads of New York City and solve the problems of those long delays for [...]
January 25th, 2010 at 9:38 pm
[...] interesting infrastructure projects to throw stimulus money at, here are two good ideas from the Infrastructurist that would get cars off the roads of New York City and solve the problems of those long delays for [...]