Category: Urban Systems

Why Making Minimum Residential Building Sizes Can Make Housing More Affordable

Why Making Minimum Residential Building Sizes Can Make Housing More Affordable

Why Making Minimum Residential Building Sizes Can Make Housing More Affordable

02/03/22

“Why can making minimum residential building sizes smaller make housing more affordable?”

The bigger a house is, the more likely it will be more expensive. If minimum residential sizes in a neighborhood require large lot sizes, then it will probably be more expensive to live there. But with the rising housing crisis and the ongoing dearth of construction, such a steep requirement for building new housing is something that must be overcome. Instead, communities should look into making minimum residential sizes smaller so more housing can be built and people can have more freedom to live. This way, supply goes up and costs go down. This is Why Making Minimum Residential Building Sizes Can Make Housing More Affordable.

Bike Sharrows

Bike Sharrows

Bike Sharrows

02/02/22

“How can we mark that cars should share the lane with bicycles?”

Separating bicycles from riders is a great way to ensure cyclist safety. However, sometimes this is not possible to achieve. So how can we do the best we can given the circumstances? Well, what if we were to simply mark the part of the road where cyclists are supposed to ride? This would be a relatively affordable and easy to implement procedure and help automobiles know that they should look out for bicyclists. These Bike Sharrows can be found in cities all over the world, wherever there are bicyclists.

Separated Bikeways

Separated Bikeways

Separated Bikeways

02/01/22

“Why might it be a good idea to separate bicycles from automobile traffic?”

Bicycle riders always face the possibility of being hit by a car when they share a lane with them. For this reason, urban planners have devised Separated Bikeways that allow for bicycle riders to ride in their own lane without cars. These hold the potential to save countless lives and make our cities a much better place to live.

Bike Boulevards

Bike Boulevards

Bike Boulevards

01/31/22

“How can we design bike routes through mainly residential neighborhoods?”

Biking is a great activity. It can burn calories, bring people together, and reduce traffic all while being sustainable for the planet. Sometimes, people may want to do this activity in their own neighborhood. So how can we accomplish this? Well, let’s use our urban planning mindset to find out. We know that using signs, pavement markings, and lower traffic speed and volume limits can minimize the amount of traffic coming in and make it safer for bicycles. So what if we were to implement all of these together? Well, this is how Bike Boulevards are formed and is one of the ways that we can make our residential communities safer for biking.

Bike Routes

Bike Routes

Bike Routes

01/30/22

“How can we design extremely enjoyable bike paths?”

Biking can be a really pleasant activity. From the fast motion to the wind on your face and everything in between. City planners have taken note of this, and have seen that some bike paths are extra enjoyable. As a result, they have decided to create dedicated Bike Routes that allow people to move through these extra nice parts.

Buffered Bike Lanes

Buffered Bike Lanes

Buffered Bike Lanes

01/29/22

“How can we create a buffer between bike lanes and oncoming vehicles?”

Bike lanes are wonderful for granting more public space to bicycle riders. However, sometimes there is no physical protection that can prevent a car from hitting them. So how can we use our urban planning mindset to get around this? Well, what if we were to create a physical barrier that would prevent a roadside collision? This is the idea behind Buffered Bike Lanes. One example of a buffered bike lane are Parking Protected Bike Lanes.

Basic Bike Lanes

Basic Bike Lanes

Basic Bike Lanes

01/28/22

“What is the most basic version of bike lanes?”

Bike lanes are one of the greatest inventions of urbanism by allowing bikes to have their own part of the street not shared with cars. But what is its most basic form? Well, what if we were to just paint a solid white lane (except for being checkered at intersections) to delineate where cars can and cannot enter? This is the idea behind Basic Bike Lanes and is one of the most effective ways to make a city more transit friendly. 

Preparing Airports for Snowstorms

Preparing Airports for Snowstorms

Preparing Airports for Snowsorms

01/26/22

“Why should we prepare airports for snowstorms?”

Snowstorms cause great havoc and delays. One piece of infrastructure that is impacted the most is airports. When these occur, flights can be grounded to a halt and delays can ripple out. To prevent this, airports should take active measures such as predicting snowstorms and canceling flights early. This is how we can look into Preparing Airports for Snow Storms. 

Why Heavy Snow Detection is Important for Town Safety

Why Heavy Snow Detection is Important for Town Safety

Why Heavy Snow Detection is Important for Town Safety

01/25/22

“Why is heavy snow detection important for town safety?”

Snow can cause a lot of setbacks to towns. Transmission lines can be downed, roads can be blocked off, and people may have to stay snowed-in for the day. To make sure that residents can prepare ahead of time, towns should have early-warning systems in place that can detect when the snow will arrive and how to respond quickly. This is Why Heavy Snow Detection is Important for Town Safety.