Matt Covert, 1000 Friends of Wisconsin Green Downtown Coordinator and professional walkster is moving on. Matt has taken on the position of Community Planner at the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission where he will continue his work with communities and helping them plan for a better, more sustainable future.
Read more about "CONGRATULATIONS, MATT!"
Planning and building streets and neighborhoods that are walkable and pedestrian friendly is a long process. In Madison, as in communities around the country, the list of local roads that need attention is long, and the budget for planning and reconstruction is stretched thin.
Read more about "Proactive Neighborhood Planning to Improve the Pedestrian Environment"Matt Covert was featured in the Spring/Summer edition of In Common magazine. Several UW-Madison Nelson Institute alumni were asked to look 30 years down the road and imagine more livable, sustainable urban communities.
Read more about "Creating more livable cities"
We have been taking a closer look at the proposal from the Madison Design Professionals Workgroup to put commuter traffic on US Highway 151 underground through part of Downtown Madison, cap the tunnel with a new 6.5 acre park, and improve the surface street grid for local pedestrian, bicycle, mass transit, and local vehicle traffic. Last week, we examined some of the myriad benefits a project like this would likely have. Today, we will take a look at some of the potential downsides and side effects the project may produce.
Read more about "Downsides of Decking Over John Nolen Drive"
As promised, 1000 Friends is sharing some more in-depth analysis of the proposal to bury John Nolen Drive and Blair Street in a tunnel, build a park on the surface, and reconnect the surface street grid. Today, we tackle some of the primary benefits of this project from the transportation, environmental, and civic points of view.
Read more about "Benefits of Decking Over John Nolen Drive"
Madison’s downtown has seen a boom in residential and mixed-use development, and the city’s 2012 Downtown Plan aims to guide and balance density, vibrant and walkable streets and public spaces, and historic preservation. A number of persistent challenges remain, however, particularly the downtown’s thin connection to Lake Monona, transportation hotspots, and a need for more public parks.
Read more about "Cover It Up: Decking over Madison’s John Nolen Drive would benefit the city but faces complex challenges"