If you listen to the press, bikes are all the rage and new rail transit lines are still the darlings of politicians and transportation planners. Incredibly, what is still overlooked in the mainstream press is the intricate relationship between transportation and land use. Even when it is mentioned, it is often a one-size-fits all scenario. We need clarity and nuance on this issue, and that isn’t easy. Take for example two disparate stories this week in the media. One was a New York Times blog discussing cycling improvements in Amsterdam. The other was entitled “Save the Earth, Drive Your Car”…

I celebrated Election Day by taking a drive in my gas-guzzling Jeep Liberty. Freshly topped off with a full tank of gas, I took a drive like any other self-respecting American. Why would I, a self-described urbanist, brag about, much less admit this? I’ll get to that momentarily. Something that grabbed my attention during this week’s election, besides the results, a comment President Obama made during his acceptance speech: “The role of citizens in our Democracy does not end with your vote. America’s never been about what can be done for us. It’s about what can be done by us…

Would it be possible to close the bus turnaround at the 38th Street Station? The clear upside is it would free up a big chunk of asphalt for development. Assembling the Metro Transit and Cardinal Bar sites with the single-family homes along 29th Avenue would create a contiguous site of at least 1.75 acres. That is a recipe for a nice mixed-use development that would be very transit-friendly and support perhaps 100 homes and even a grocery store. Take a look at the map below to see what I mean. At far right is Hiawatha Avenue, and to its west…