Healthy Urbanism

Posted by: Matt | January 21, 2010

Making Transit Hip

I came across a great video today that illustrates Los Angeles’ new approach to advertising their public transit system (h/t CoolTown Studios). They’ve created their own in-house creative ad agency whose mission is to update typically stodgy transit advertising and create a message that appeals to more image conscious discretionary riders. Since this style of advertising went into effect a couple years ago, they have seen the number of discretionary riders rise 14%, from 22% to 36%. The video is definitely worth a watch, as it profiles some pretty clever ideas.

I’m far from an expert on public transit, but as I see it ridership can generally be broken down into two categories: those that are transit dependent due to age, disability, or not owning a vehicle; and discretionary riders, who could choose to drive if they wanted but instead take transit due to some sort of preference (more convenient, cheaper, less stressful, hate global warming). Read More…

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Posted in Transit

Posted by: Matt | January 20, 2010

The Influence of Our Surroundings

Steve Miller, writing on his blog at the Livable Streets Alliance website, has a great post and metaphor about why people choose to do things (such as drive everywhere and eat too much fast food) that have been proven harmful.

Few people are consciously self-destructive. The reason most Americans drive, just like the reason that so many Americans eat bad food, is because given the surrounding context it makes sense to do so. Our homes jobs, shopping centers, schools, and friends are often located far away from each other, extending across the metro region into the suburbs. Public transportation doesn’t typically connect scattered starting points with equally scattered destinations – assuming that’s its available at all. Cars are often a necessity.

Yes, many people love their cars and would make similar choices even if they had other alternatives. Many other people, however, would make lifestyle changes if the built environment around them allowed for it. Read More…

Getting Started…

Well, I’ve long thought about starting a blog revolving around cities and urban issues. It appears I am now doing just that. My reason for undertaking this project is primarily to work through my thoughts on urban issues and get a little practice at writing, but also hopefully to add something of value to the broader dialogue on urban planning. As many people would attest, writing out our thoughts and questions is a great way to better understand things and to formulate a coherent position on a topic.

I chose the name Healthy Urbanism because I’ve got a strong interest in how the built environment affects our health and well-being. In particular, I believe that transit friendly, walkable, bikable, and diverse (in people, form and function) communities lead to better public health. Not surprisingly, that will likely be a common topic here. Additionally, as someone who has grown to love cities, this blog will cover anything that relates to creating a healthy and vibrant urban environment. Read More…

Healthy Urbanism

Making Transit Hip

The Influence of Our Surroundings

Getting Started…

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