"Who's afraid of Livable Streets"

Good news- Sandy more or less left us OK-  no basement flooding, and no branches on the house.  The power flickered a bit, but we had it the whole time, which is more than some people can say!   I didn't ride today, partly because I got a flu shot and am feeling pretty cruddy afterwards,  and partly because I wasn't sure how bad the rain/ branches/ wet leaves would be.  I can see sunlight from my office window though, so it's going to be a decent day I think.

There's a good lecture this Wednesday (Halloween)  with Paul Steely White from Transportation Alternatives in NYC, and Aaron Naparstek  at Harvard's Kennedy School.

from the announcement:

Paul White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives and Aaron Naparstek, founder of Streetsblog… “Who’s Afraid of Livable Streets?”   

Wed, Oct 31   Taubman (HKS) 401, 4:30-6:00  [Note: If Sandy causes a cancellation, we will send out an email on Wed.]

Cities around the world are reversing decades of automobile-oriented planning and policy and redesigning streets to prioritize the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders. Yet, despite successful efforts and a growing body of evidence of economic, public health and environmental benefits, political opposition to Livable Streets is deeply entrenched and difficult to overcome. 

For the last ten years, Paul White and Aaron Naparstek have worked to bring transformative change to the streets of New York City. In this Halloween session they will explore the myths and realities of American urban planning and transportation policy and provide advocates with tools to frame the argument, scare away the Livable Streets bogeymen, and create change in their own communities.

I would really like to go see this, but my week is likely to be too crazy for me to leave work early enough to get there for a 4:30 lecture.   It sounds good though, so if you're closer, you should really try to go by.